2016 NBA All-Star Game Reserves Announced
The NBA has officially announced the reserves for the 2016 All-Star game, which will be played at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Sunday, February 14th. The names of the reserves were first reported by Carron J. Phillips of The News Journal and confirmed by Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution (All four Twitter links). The starters for both conferences were announced last week, with Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard voted to tip off the exhibition in the West and LeBron James, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Kyle Lowry slated to represent the East.
While the starters are selected by the fans, reserves are chosen by the coaches in each conference, though they are not permitted to vote for players on their own team. Listed below are the reserves for the 2016 NBA All-Star game for each conference:
Eastern Conference
- Chris Bosh (F) — Heat
- Jimmy Butler (G/F) — Bulls
- DeMar DeRozan (G) — Raptors
- Andre Drummond (C) — Pistons
- Paul Millsap (F) — Hawks
- Isaiah Thomas (G) — Celtics
- John Wall (G) — Wizards
Western Conference
- LaMarcus Aldridge (F) — Spurs
- DeMarcus Cousins (C) — Kings
- Anthony Davis (F) — Pelicans
- Draymond Green (F) — Warriors
- James Harden (G) — Rockets
- Chris Paul (G) — Clippers
- Klay Thompson (G) — Warriors
Who was the biggest surprise among the All-Star reserves announced tonight? Share your thoughts with a comment.
Pacific Notes: Myers, McDonough, Goodwin
Reigning Executive of the Year Bob Myers and Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob are persistent talent-seekers, but Myers acknowledges the value of standing pat sometimes, as the team has benefited from having done this past offseason, observes Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. The continuity is a part of the relaxed culture of togetherness that coach Steve Kerr is building, as Kawakami examines.
“You have to kind of take your ego out of it sometimes and just say, ‘Look, leave it alone. Don’t screw it up,’ “ Myers said.
Golden State nonetheless continues to look around for potential ways to tweak the roster, perhaps with another shooter for the bench, though it’s only logical for the team to do so, Kawakami adds. See more from the Pacific Division:
- The Suns would like to make at least one trade before the deadline and perhaps more, GM Ryan McDonough said Wednesday in his weekly appearance on the “Burns and Gambo” show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM radio, as Adam Green of ArizonaSports.com transcribes. “So yeah, I think we’ll be active,” McDonough also said. “We’re not going to act like everything’s OK or like we don’t need to do anything to reposition our team going forward. But will we do a deal or how many deals will we do, I couldn’t tell you at this point.”
- Injuries to Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Ronnie Price have prompted the Suns to turn to Archie Goodwin at the point, and Goodwin is embracing the role, believing that the chance to handle the ball is a better fit for his game, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic details. Goodwin becomes eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.
- Kobe Bryant took a swipe at former Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni in giving praise to Pau Gasol this week, as Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com relays. Gasol has said he’s “very likely” to turn down his player option and become a free agent this summer. “I think the city of L.A. didn’t really appreciate what [Gasol] did and what we had, and so as a consequence, everybody kind of fell in line with the Mike D’Antoni rhetoric of small ball and all this other [expletive],” Bryant said. “For a guy that has two championships to be treated that way, you don’t do that, man.”
And-Ones: Griffin, Horford, Bazemore, Walton
People who work for the Clippers are “miserable” about the embarrassment that the reported altercation between Blake Griffin and equipment manager Mathis Testi has brought upon the franchise, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding writes. Griffin, who’s expected to miss four to six weeks recovering from the broken hand he apparently suffered in the incident, issued a statement of apology through his verified Twitter account.
- The Hawks aren’t entirely sure that Al Horford will re-sign in free agency this summer, and they’re making it a priority to re-sign fellow soon-to-be free agent Kent Bazemore, too, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports says in the latest edition of his “The Vertical” podcast (audio link, scroll ahead to 48-minute mark). Wojnarowski and Yahoo Sports colleague Chris Mannix also elaborated on the Atlanta’s trade talks involving Jeff Teague.
- Luke Walton said that he had fun as interim Warriors head coach but acknowledged that he still has much to learn as he spoke in a radio appearance on 95.7 The Game. Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group has the partial transcription (Twitter links). “I’m not in a rush to go out and do anything different,” Walton said. “I enjoy the assistant role too … I’d love to be back again next season.”
- Matthew Dellavedova was “definitely shocked” when the Cavaliers fired David Blatt and said to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he’s sure he’ll cross paths with the coach again. “Coach Blatt was huge for me,” Dellavedova said. “He gave me a great opportunity. He really believed in me and 100% supported me. It was really great for my career, so I’m always going to be appreciative for what he did for me.” Dellavedova is set for restricted free agency at season’s end.
Northwest Notes: Hayward, Durant, Plumlee, Davis
The Jazz are “poking around” the market for a point guard, several league sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. It’s not entirely clear if such efforts are related to the team’s reported 10-day deal with Erick Green, though it would seem given the timing of that agreement, so soon after Raul Neto suffered a concussion Monday, that the team had already been looking. The Heat reportedly rebuffed Utah when it tried to engage them in Mario Chalmers trade talks over the offseason, but the Jazz’s interest in Chalmers was minimal, according to Lowe. The ESPN scribe speculates about other options, including Jrue Holiday, whose leg issues leave teams “petrified” and whom the Pelicans are reluctant to deal, anyway, Lowe reports. Lowe also believes Jeff Teague would be a fit for Utah, but reports that the Hawks have had “major trust issues” with backup Dennis Schröder and are focused on contending this season. In any case, the Jazz appear reluctant to pilfer from their store of future picks, which includes the Warriors unprotected 2017 first-rounder as the relative cost of rookie scale contracts becomes cheaper amid the rapid salary cap escalation, Lowe writes.
“Picks are that much more valuable,” GM Dennis Lindsey said to Lowe.
See more from Utah:
- The impending financial realities threaten the core of the Jazz, as Lowe details in the same piece, and Gordon Hayward, who can opt out after next season, acknowledged to Lowe that they cast a shadow on his future. “I’m constantly thinking about that,” Hayward said. “Contracts are so short now. A lot of our guys are on their rookie deals, and they’ll come up for extensions. It all might determine whether or not I stay in Utah.”
- The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater examines the surprising lack of legitimate rumors about Kevin Durant‘s impending free agency, writing that the idea of the Thunder star signing a deal that would allow him to opt out after just one season “has gained traction.” It’s not clear whether that idea is growing on Durant himself or if more people are simply realizing that it would likely represent the most lucrative path for the former MVP. That would allow him to take advantage of a projected $108MM cap for the summer of 2017 and a higher maximum-salary tier, since he’d be a 10-year veteran.
- The playmaking ability of Trail Blazers offseason acquisitions Mason Plumlee and Ed Davis has helped alleviate the pressure from incumbent guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, as Mike Richman of The Oregonian examines. Plumlee will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.
Western Notes: Smith, Booker, Jazz
Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff expects Josh Smith to be the same key player he was off the bench last season and added Smith thrives with the team because there is a level of trust and comfort, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle details. Smith scored 16 points Sunday in the Rockets’ win against the Mavs.
“I feel comfortable. It might have been a little different story if this were my first time here, but being able to get the opportunity to play for the same team, around the same group of guys is awesome,” Smith said, per Feigen. “It’s definitely a comfortable feeling being able to get back. Seeing the appreciation from the fans and my teammates definitely instills confidence that this is where I belong.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- In a largely disappointing season for the Suns, Devin Booker has been the lone bright spot, Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated writes. Booker became one of Phoenix’s regular starters after Eric Bledsoe suffered a torn meniscus on Christmas. Booker scored 15.4 points in 30.4 minutes per contest in his first 11 games as a starter, drawing comparisons to Klay Thompson, Fischer adds.
- Trey Burke has developed into the most reliable player off the bench for the Jazz bench, especially considering Alec Burks has been out with an injury, Jody Genessy of the Deseret News writes.
- The Warriors recalled Kevon Looney from the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s D-League affiliate, the team announced.
Western Notes: Aldridge, Williams, D-League
LaMarcus Aldridge, who signed with the Spurs this past offseason as an unrestricted free agent, said he was very close to joining the Suns instead, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “It was very close,” said Aldridge. “It came down to the final minute, to the final day of me trying to make a decision of coming here or going to San Antonio. They [Phoenix] made a strong case. They knew who I wanted to play with and some things I valued and they made those things happen. I couldn’t not take them seriously because they did everything that I was asking at the time. It came down, neck and neck, between Phoenix and San Antonio. It wasn’t overplayed. That was accurate.”
Here’s more from out West:
- Aldridge also noted that he is happy not having to be the alpha in San Antonio’s system and happiness for he and his family and a chance to win an NBA title trump any ego-driven concerns, Coro adds. “Things change,” Aldridge told Coro. “I’ve always enjoyed being the guy. I think working so hard in Portland to earn the right to have it be my team and to have my own team over the years and try to play at a high level, that was hard-earned. So I take pride in that. I cherish those years. I don’t want to be that guy. This team is so stacked that they really don’t need me to be that guy here. This is more Kawhi’s [Leonard] team and we all kind of fit in around him and try to make him better and try to make his life a little bit easier. I think if I was trying to be that guy still, then I should’ve not came. But I’m OK with trying to help Kawhi be great every night.”
- Shooting guard Elliot Williams, whom the Grizzlies didn’t sign to a second 10-day contract after his first expired on Sunday, has rejoined the Warriors’ D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor tweets.
- The Thunder have assigned Josh Huestis and Mitch McGary to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Huestis’ ninth stint with the Blue on the season and McGary’s fifth.
Steve Kerr Returning To Coach Warriors
Warriors coach Steve Kerr will make his season debut on the bench tonight, returning from his leave of absence for Golden State’s game against Indiana, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The team confirmed the news via press release. Kerr missed the first 43 games of the season after undergoing two back surgeries. Assistant coach Luke Walton has led the Warriors to a sterling 39-4 record as interim coach, though the team hasn’t played quite as well of late after a 29-1 start.
Kerr has maintained a presence, attending practices throughout the season and more recently traveling with the club. Golden State begins a three-game homestand tonight before heading east for a three-game road trip that begins with a January 30th tilt at Philadelphia.
The Warriors won 67 regular season games and the NBA title in Kerr’s first season as an NBA coach last year, and they’ve carried that level of success into this season without a hitch under Walton, who is in just his third year of coaching, including a gig as a player development coach for the D-League affiliate of the Lakers in 2013/14. The team’s strong performance under Walton has put him in the conversation to formally become a head coach for another NBA team in the near future. The Nets are reportedly eyeing him for their vacancy.
Walton had said he didn’t imagine Kerr’s absence, which began shortly after the start of training camp, stretching nearly as long as it did, but Kerr maintained confidence that he’d return at some point this season. Both the Warriors and Kerr were, as of last week, 100% certain that he would coach before season’s end, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group.
Will the Warriors be even better under Kerr than they were with Walton as interim coach? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Cavs Notes: Love, LeBron, Blatt
The Cavs held a meeting before practice Tuesday to clear the air following Monday’s blowout loss to the Warriors, and Kevin Love had a major bounce-back performance Wednesday, posting 17 points and a whopping 18 rebounds in 31 minutes as the Cavaliers rolled to victory over the Nets, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com details. It came on the heels of a miserable performance Monday in which he had only three points and six rebounds, and Love said Wednesday that he didn’t intend for a comment he made following the Warriors game in which he appeared to call out LeBron James to be perceived as a shot at the four-time MVP, McMenamin notes.
“All I meant was that LeBron is our leader and we follow him at the end of the day,” Love said. “We all got to be better for each other, him, our fans, our organization, each and every player on this team, our coaches.”
James said he believes Love’s contention that he didn’t mean to be critical, according to McMenamin, but the fallout from Monday’s wake-up call of a loss remains. See more:
- Love was at a loss for words after Monday’s game when asked about what his role on the team is, and he’s not an easy fit on the Cavs roster, argues Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Cleveland already has fellow power forward Tristan Thompson, who, like Love, is just starting a five-year deal, and James, who also excels at power forward, as Bontemps points out.
- David Blatt‘s continued employment as coach of the Cavs depends largely on how well Love performs down the stretch this season, opines Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
- James isn’t as singularly dominant as he once was and his teammates aren’t giving him the on-court support he needs, contends Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, who believes James simply isn’t as relevant on the NBA landscape as he has been in the past. Still, a disappearance from center stage would suit James just fine, he said Wednesday, as McMenamin relays in his story. “I actually wish they continue to forget about us. Completely forget about us,” James said. “For the first time in my career I could fly under the radar. For us, we as a basketball team, we just got to go out and prove it to ourselves. It’s not about what everybody else thinks. We need to be with each other and get better every night. I think tonight it was very easy to look each other in the face and know that we got better out there.”
Western Notes: Parsons, Favors, Looney
Mavs small forward Chandler Parsons has been spending quite a bit of crunch time sitting on the bench, something the player understands is better for the team, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com writes. “I get paid to play basketball,” said Parsons. “Coach gets paid to make decisions and make substitutions. Whenever my number is called, I’ve got to be ready to play. I don’t really worry about things that are out of my control. I just try to do whatever it takes to help our team win games.” Parsons is still trying to regain his explosiveness after undergoing knee surgery last March.
“Of course, I want to be out there. I want to play,” Parsons continued. “It’s the most exciting part of the game, the most important part of the game. Nothing’s unconditional. I’m not saying every game I deserve to be out there at the end of the game, but obviously as a competitor and a player, you want to be out there and you want to play when it matters in crunch time.”
Here’s more from the West:
- Jazz power forward Derrick Favors, who has missed the last 15 contests with a back injury, is making his way closer toward a return to the court, Aaron Falk and Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune note. “With Derrick, it’s all a part of a process,” coach Quin Snyder said. “Back injuries are tricky. Some days you feel good, and you feel like you can play. Other days, you don’t feel so good. Above anything, we just want him to be healthy. But it’s a process, and we have to take it one day at a time.”
- Warriors 2015 first-rounder Kevon Looney is driven by his fall from being a projected lottery pick to the No. 30 overall pick, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes. Looney’s drop was due to concerns over his hip, which he underwent surgery to correct back in August, Howard-Cooper notes. “I feel like they missed out,” Looney said of the teams that bypassed him back in June. “I’ve been waiting to show them, to come back from an injury and show my whole game, take some of the labels off of me and show my talent and show I can really contribute. I want to show everybody. A lot of people have already written me off, saying, ‘I can’t wait to see you next year.’ Like it’s over for me and I had no chance of playing. But that’s not my plan. Hopefully I’ll get in this year and I’ll make a contribution and show everybody.“
Pacific Notes: Smith, Stephenson, Hibbert, Crawford
The Clippers feel as though they’d be better in the long run if they could trade offseason acquisitions Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson, who are dissatisfied with their respective roles on the team, Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher says in a video dispatch (scroll to three-minute mark) that echoes his report from December. The team apparently gauged their value on the trade market as far back as November, though coach/executive Doc Rivers denied it. In any case, Bucher and Bleacher Report colleague Howard Beck identify the Clippers, Bulls and Lakers as likely sellers, with the Kings and Rockets set to become buyers at the trade deadline. Sacramento has been “active and aggressive,” according to Bucher. See more from the Pacific Division:
- Roy Hibbert likes L.A. and has maintained a professional demeanor throughout a losing season, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The Lakers are reportedly trying to find a trade that would send Hibbert to a playoff team. The center acknowledges that it hasn’t been easy this year after playing on much more successful teams in Indiana. “It’s rough,” Hibbert said. “The skeletons are there to be a really good team. It’s just not going the way we want it to be. You see glimpses but it’s been rough.”
- Jamal Crawford cited familiarity and the desire for a “pit bull” negotiator for his recent decision to rehire agent Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management, having moved on from a brief time with the Wasserman Media Group, the agency he hired in the offseason. TNT’s David Aldridge has the details in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The Clippers sixth man is poised for free agency in the summer.
- Draymond Green has far surpassed expectations, and in addition to his own effort, he’s been fortunate to arrive in the NBA just as small-ball truly took off and to land with a Warriors franchise that believes in him, as Steve Aschburner of NBA.com examines. “Obviously I’m blessed to be here in a situation with Golden State where what I brought to the team was needed,” Green said. “And appreciated. I know that’s important. Sometimes going to a certain franchise can ruin a career if you’re not with the right team. I was blessed to come to a great situation. A great franchise that appreciated the way that I do. So I’ve been able to become the player I’ve become.”