Bobcats To Interview Michael Malone, Brian Shaw?
4:11pm: The Bobcats have also requested permission to speak with Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, according to Sam Amick of SI.com. However, Shaw prefers to focus on the playoffs for now, so no interview has been scheduled yet.
1:42pm: A week after announcing that Paul Silas won't coach the team in 2012/13, the Bobcats' search for a new head coach has them eyeing Warriors assistant Michael Malone. According to Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo! Sports, the Bobcats will interview Malone for the position.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer identified Malone as a candidate for Charlotte's coaching vacancy last week, and new Warriors GM Bob Myers recently said he expects Malone to be "a hot commodity" this summer. Although Golden State has the assistant coach under contract, Myers says the team wouldn't hold Malone back if he received a head coaching opportunity.
According to Wojnarowski, Malone is believed to be the first candidate to receive a formal interview, though the team will reportedly interview Stephen Silas as well. Malone is expected to meet with Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins and GM Rich Cho on Tuesday.
Central Notes: Morway, Bucks, Hamilton, Hammond
There's plenty of news out of the Central Division today, with the Bulls on the brink of elimination against the Sixers while the Pacers are in command against the Magic. The latest updates are at the top:
- Pacers GM David Morway responded to Friday's news that the Blazers are interested in him for their GM position, telling The Oregonian's Jason Quick that he's "flattered" but "right now I'm focused on the playoffs and focused on our team.'' He could also be in line for a promotion in Indiana if president of basketball operations Larry Bird steps aside, but Morway said no interview has been scheduled with Portland and he'll evaluate his options at a later date. (All Twitter links).
- Though Forbes ranks the Bucks as the NBA's least valuable franchise, there's little reason to worry that Milwaukee will go down the same path as Seattle did with the Sonics, writes Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Richard Hamilton, who's strugged in three straight losses, hasn't been giving the Bulls what they expected when signed him before the season, as Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes.
- In a roundup of candidates for the Blazers GM job, Sam Amick of SI.com says multiple sources have told him the Bucks have denied GM John Hammond permission to interview for the position. Last month we heard about the mutual interest between Hammond and the Blazers, but Friday's joint press conference between Hammond and Bucks owner Herb Kohl seems to indicate that the Bucks will be keeping their GM.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star sat down with commissioner David Stern to talk Pacers and other topics. Stern says he's not concerned about the team's lagging attendance, which ranked 26th in the regular season this year.
- John Paxson, vice president of basketball operations for the Bulls, recently underwent surgery to try to correct a heart arrhythmia, according to an ESPN.com report. Paxson said in a statement released by the team that the procedure has been planned for over a month. The news of his health trouble came out in comments made by Sixers coach Doug Collins after today's game.
Top 5 New Additions For Playoff Contenders
Many of the teams currently in the playoffs made key offseason or trade deadline acquisitions with hopes of enjoying postseason success well into June. Some have fared well while others have flopped. Here are the top five playoff contributors who have filed for a change of address in the past year.
- Bulls: With an increased workload in the playoffs, Richard Hamilton has been effective for the Bulls over the first three games against the Sixers. The former Pistons shooting guard has averaged 30.3 minutes per game which has brought an increased offensive output along the lines of 15.3 PPG and 5.3 APG. The Bulls will continue to look to rely on Hamilton's hot hand with Derrick Rose sidelined for the rest of the season and Joakim Noah out for Sunday's game with an injured ankle.
- Heat: Former Duke star Shane Battier has been a defensive stalwart in the playoffs for Miami especially in Game 3 where he shut down Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. While the former Rockets small forward failed to score any points of his own, he kept Anthony to 22 points, which the former Syracuse star had to work for as he shot 7-23. Battier contributed offensively in the first two games of the series where he averaged 9.5 PPG and 4.5 RPG.
- Pacers: The Pacers have gotten vintage play out of David West in three of their first four games against the Magic. West, who signed with the Pacers in the offseason, has averaged 16.8 PPG and 10.0 RPG during the playoffs this season. Indiana will look to close out the series with a win against the Magic at home on Tuesday.
- Lakers: Looking to upgrade the team's aging backcourt, the Lakers acquired Ramon Sessions from the Cavs at the trade deadline. Sessions has proven his mettle thus far in the playoffs with strong play at the point guard position. The former Nevada star is currently averaging 14.3 PPG and 5.0 APG through three games against the Nuggets.
- Clippers: After willing his team to a stunning comeback victory over the Grizzlies in Game 1, Chris Paul has led the Clippers to a 2-1 lead in the series heading into Monday night's game in Los Angeles. Acquired in the offseason by the Clippers, Paul put up MVP-like numbers during the regular season and has continued to elevate his level of play during the playoffs. The former Wake Forest star is averaging 22.3 PPG and 9.3 APG through three games.
Odds & Ends: Curry, Beal, Kidd-Gilchrist, Sloan
Warriors guard Stephen Curry had shown to be one of the league's most promising young talents after two years into his NBA career, but was limited by lingering ankle injuries during his third season. Rusty Simmons of SFGate reports that the former Davidson star views his recent ankle surgery as a relief and that he fully expects to be ready for training camp in October. Curry, who feels that backup power forward and depth are the team's biggest needs, also wants to be more involved with Golden State's draft process and plans to attend prospect workouts over the next two months (Sulia link). Here are the other significant links we've gathered up this evening:
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweeted that Bradley Beal from Florida has signed with Mark Bartelstein and Priority Sports. Beal is projected to be a top five pick in next month's NBA Draft.
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist announced via his Twitter account that he has signed with Creative Artists Agency.
- Following a season that likely included an innumerable amount of facepalms compared to high-fives, the Bobcats are now focused on adding a new head coach after recently parting ways with Paul Silas. Mitch Lawrence of the NY Daily News hears that Charlotte might try to pursue Jerry Sloan as a possible replacement, citing GM Rich Cho and Michael Jordan's admiration for the former Jazz coach. He also mentions that Sloan turned down six head coaching offers last season (among them Golden State and Detroit), which would imply that it will take a compelling proposal to convince him to join the league's biggest re-building project.
- Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas briefly touches base on the possibility of Rick Carlisle becoming a free agent this summer. Carlisle is finishing up his last year of a four-year contract, and despite president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson continually saying that the Mavericks coach isn't going anywhere, there has been no mention of talks regarding a new deal. Owner Mark Cuban declined to elaborate on the situation today, saying that he "doesn't talk about free agent coaches or otherwise." In a separate article by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas, Cuban insists that he does not regret letting Tyson Chandler leave because of the financial flexibility he was able to preserve.
- David West has been one of the NBA's most significant free agent acquisitions from last year's offseason, helping the Pacers secure the third seed in the Eastern Conference and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld discusses how West's presence has benefited the culture and confidence of the team.
- Despite a second straight lottery season for the Cavaliers, owner Dan Gilbert remains a popular figure in Cleveland, writes Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston. With such a close connection to the team's fan base, Livingston sees Gilbert as a more wealthy, modern-day version of legendary baseball owner Bill Veeck.
Blazers Interested In Pacers’ GM David Morway
The newest reported candidate for the Trail Blazers' general manager opening is another current NBA GM — David Morway of the Pacers. According to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, Portland has requested and received permission to speak to Morway, who is expected to meet with Blazers president Larry Miller in the next week or so.
Morway, who has been Indiana's GM for four years, is considered the right-hand man of Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird. Before he worked for the Pacers, Morway also had a front office MLB job for the San Diego Padres and served as the president of agency Professional Excellence Sports.
Miller said this week that he isn't sure how many candidates the Blazers will interview, noting that he wants the process to be thorough so the team doesn't have to go through it again anytime soon. However, the Blazers president added: "If we talk to somebody and this is our guy, that would be the end of it."
Steve Kerr, John Hammond, Mitch Kupchak, and Geoff Petrie are among the names that have been linked to the Blazers' search.
Kyler On Williams, Nash, Gordon, Mayo, Hibbert
In his NBA AM column at HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler shares the latest rumblings on a handful of this summer's top free agents. Here are the highlights:
- It's far from a done deal, but the general feeling around the Nets is that they're in the driver's seat for Deron Williams. Kyler names the Mavericks, Trail Blazers, and Magic as other teams that figure to aggressively pursue the point guard.
- Steve Nash continues to tell people that returning to Phoenix is a "real and viable option." Kyler points out that even if Nash ends up elsewhere, the Suns could work out a sign-and-trade to get something out of it.
- It's nearly a lock that Eric Gordon will be retained by the Hornets, but it's not clear how high the bidding will go. The Hornets were unable to agree on an extension with Gordon earlier this season, and while that was due in part to not having new ownership in place yet, there are also questions about the 23-year-old's durability.
- According to Kyler, there's a good chance O.J. Mayo doesn't become a restricted free agent this summer, since a qualifying offer would put the Grizzlies over the tax line. If Memphis doesn't extend a qualifying offer, Mayo would be eligible for unrestricted free agency.
- Kevin Garnett would like to finish his career with the Celtics.
- The Pacers are prepared to match just about any offer for Roy Hibbert, and will let the market set the price for their center.
- The Nets hope to deal with Brook Lopez's free agency after working out some of their other situations, but Lopez could disrupt their plans if he signs an offer sheet with another club early in the free agent period.
Anthony Davis To Be Added To Team USA Pool
12:43pm: Monroe won't be the second addition to the U.S. Olympic pool, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
12:18pm: Anthony Davis will be one of the two finalists added to the Team USA pool, according to SI.com's Sam Amick. Along with Monroe, Al Jefferson is a candidate to be the second finalist, says Amick.
11:08am: Lamar Odom hasn't been ruled out for the 2012 Olympic roster yet, Colangelo tells Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Colangelo also said that Cousins won't be added to the player pool this year, according to Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
WEDNESDAY, 8:09am: DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, and Anthony Davis are among the big men being considered for the Team USA pool, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Hibbert, unfortunately, is ineligible to play for the U.S. team because he played for Jamaica's senior national squad during the 2010 Centrobasket tournament. FIBA rules prevent players from representing two different countries at the senior level.
TUESDAY, 8:29pm: Jerry Colangelo told reporters (Associated Press link via ESPN.com) that he is leaning towards adding a couple of players to the pool from which the final Olympic team will be drawn. He gave no indication as to who those players might be, however.
7:30pm: With the U.S. Olympic team's projected roster increasingly depleted due to injuries, Jerry Colangelo is reportedly reconsidering his stance against adding new players. According to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, Pacers center Roy Hibbert has expressed interest in joining the team should they look to add new talent.
“It would be nice to be able to do something like that,” Hibbert said. “I always said I wanted to play in the Olympics for the US. I played with Team Jamaica last year. Hopefully I can get a quick release. It would mean the world to me to be able to participate for Team USA.”
With Dwight Howard and LaMarcus Aldridge out for the summer, the frontcourt rotation for Team USA is looking thin outside of Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, and Tyson Chandler. If Colangelo does decide to bring on new players, Hibbert, who made his first All-Star appearance in 2011/12, would appear to be a logical candidate.
Injuries Take A Starring Role In 2012 Playoffs
With horrific injuries spelling an early end to the season for Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert, let's take a look at the other 14 playoff teams to see how a missing player may mean the difference between a Finals appearance and a first-round exit.
- Heat: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade enter the playoffs healthier than usual thanks to some much needed rest during the final week of the regular season. The Heat stand to benefit the most from Shumpert and Rose's injuries as a sweep against the Knicks means less of a challenge for Wade on the offensive end and an easier path to winning a title. Look for the Heat to advance to at least the Finals if they can duplicate the success they enjoyed during the first half of the season.
- Pacers: The Pacers are injury-free heading into Game 2 against the Magic, who pulled off the upset Saturday evening in Indiana. Utilizing seven-foot-two center Roy Hibbert's size to their fullest advantage will be key for the Pacers as their big man only managed to score eight points but blocked nine shots as he dominated the paint defensively. With Dwight Howard on the shelf for the entirety of the playoffs, the Magic are severely undersized with six-foot-nine Glen Davis taking over at center for Superman.
- Celtics: Ray Allen is expected to miss Game 1 in Atlanta against the Hawks as he battles bone spurs in his right ankle. If the Celtics had missed the playoffs, Allen would have undergone surgery immediately to help alleviate the pain. The Celtics will turn to Avery Bradley and his burgeoning reputation as a solid three-point shooter for the majority of the series as Allen's status remains unknown.
- Hawks: The center position has been an area of concern for the Hawks with Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia currently sidelined with injuries. Horford, who has been out since January 11 with a torn left pectoral muscle, will miss the entire first round of the playoffs but may be able to return if the team advances. A foot injury to Pachulia that caused him to miss the team's last seven games will force the Hawks to rely on Jason Collins in order to solidify their frontcourt.
- Magic: The Magic's chances of making a run in the playoffs took a huge hit when Howard called it a season in mid-April as he elected to undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back. Without Howard, the Magic will feature an undersized frontcourt against a much larger Pacers squad. Much uncertainty surrounds the future of the franchise given Howard's impending free agency in 2013 and his desire to replace head coach Stan Van Gundy.
- Sixers: Aside from rookie center Lavoy Allen spraining his thumb in Game 1, the Sixers feature a healthy roster as they return to action Tuesday night against the Bulls. With Rose out for the remainder of the series, the Sixers will look to capitalize on the perimeter as Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner should benefit from having to guard John Lucas III rather than the league's reigning MVP.
- Spurs: After a series of injuries cost Manu Ginobili nearly half the season, the Spurs enter the playoffs with a fresh roster looking to make a title run. Future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan, 36, played a career-low 28.2 MPG this season but is still performing at a high level. The addition of Stephen Jackson at the trade deadline along with the subtraction of Richard Jefferson may be enough to lead the Spurs to their fifth title under Gregg Popovich.
- Thunder: James Harden returned to action on Saturday night against the Mavs after missing his last two games with a concussion suffered against the Lakers last Sunday. He appeared to be completely recovered as he scored an efficient 19 points in 35 minutes of the bench. Beyond Harden, the Thunder lost backup point guard Eric Maynor for the season due to a torn ACL in January, but remedied the situation by signing veteran Derek Fisher to a contract in March.
- Lakers: A healthy Andrew Bynum and a rested Kobe Bryant may allow for the under-the-radar Lakers to make a run in the wide-open Western Conference playoffs. While not an injury, Los Angeles will be without Metta World Peace for the first six games of the playoffs due to suspension.
- Grizzlies: Memphis lost Darrell Arthur for the season after the power forward suffered a torn Achilles tendon in practice back in December. A healthy Zach Randolph has played himself back into shape after missing time earlier this season due to a knee injury.
- Clippers: Many critics expected the Clippers to implode after Chauncey Billups went down on February 6 with a torn Achilles tendon. While the Clippers slipped to the fifth seed, they reinvented the image of the franchise and gained respect from around the league thanks to MVP-like play from Chris Paul.
- Nuggets: After spending the majority of the season abroad in China, Wilson Chandler returned to Denver for a brief stint before suffering a season-ending injury to his hip in mid-April. The Nuggets will open against the Lakers without Rudy Fernandez, who had surgery on his lower back in March to end his season.
- Mavericks: A healthy Mavs squad will face a difficult journey in defending their title as they open the playoffs against the Thunder. Saturday night saw a missed opportunity by Dallas to steal Game 1 on the road as they lost in Oklahoma City by the score of 99-98. Any chance of exploiting Harden's concussion was nullified with a strong performance by the Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
- Jazz: Small forward C.J. Miles may miss the start of the playoffs against the Spurs with a strained calf. The team will look for strong production out of star Al Jefferson, who had the opportunity to rest late last week as the center only played limited minutes in the team's regular season finale.
Magic Notes: Davis, Bench, Turkoglu
The Magic will limp into the playoffs as the sixth seed after Dwight Howard suffered a herniated disk in his back to prematurely end his season. Many pundits have the Pacers easily dismantling the injury-riddled Magic in the first round to send them into an offseason of uncertainty given Howard's desire to play elsewhere and head coach Stan Van Gundy's unknown status. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has the latest news surrounding the Magic as their series gets underway on Saturday in Indianapolis.
- The offseason acquisition of Glen Davis from the Celtics appeared to be a bust when he was suspended by the Magic for conduct detrimental to team in February, but the former LSU star has turned heads with his strong play in April. After Howard's season came to a close, Davis was afforded the opportunity to start and demonstrated his ability by averaging 16.4 PPG and 8.8 RPG over his last 12 games. Currently struggling with an ankle sprain, the six-foot-nine Davis will be at a severe height disadvantage when he matches up with the Pacers' Roy Hibbert, who checks in at seven-foot-two.
- Van Gundy will need to see strong contributions out of lesser-known bench players if the Magic seek to be competitive against the much deeper Pacers. Earl Clark and Daniel Orton are two names that Van Gundy will have to reluctantly call upon to keep his starters fresh throughout the series. Orton, 21, provides size at six-foot-ten, but has never played in a playoff game after failing to see any action during his entire rookie season of 2010/2011.
- The Magic are playing coy with Hedo Turkoglu's status heading into Game 1 against the Pacers. Van Gundy knows whether the former first-round pick will start, but refuses to offer any clues to the media, and in turn, the Pacers. Now in his second stint with the Magic, Turkoglu offers the team size at the small forward position against a Pacers squad chuck full of big bodies.
Central Notes: Bird, Hibbert, Pistons, Skiles
In what's becoming a monthly ritual, Pacers president Larry Bird has denied a report suggesting he'll be leaving the team at season's end. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported that Bird has told Pacers owner Herb Simon and several friends that he has decided to leave, but the Hall-of-Famer told Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star that he hasn't made up his mind yet.
"Once again, no decision has been made," Bird told Wells. "I'll sit down with my owner at the end of the season and we'll talk about things."
Here are the rest of the morning's updates out of the Central Division:
- Roy Hibbert's playoff performance could have a significant impact on what sort of contract he signs this offseason, Wells writes in a separate piece for the Star. As Wells notes, Dwight Howard's absence will give Hibbert and the Pacers a good opportunity to dominate the Magic in the first round.
- Charlie Villanueva is aware that he'll head into the offseason as a candidate to be traded or amnestied by the Pistons, as he suggests to David Mayo of MLive.com: "I would like to stay here. I love it here, I love it here. At the same time, I'm a realist."
- Pistons coach Lawrence Frank addressed the team's future in a Q&A with Terry Foster of the Detroit News.
- Keith Glass, agent for Bucks coach Scott Skiles, dismissed rumors that Skiles will seek a buyout on the final year of his contract, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. "That’s news to me," Glass said. "I haven’t talked to anyone about that. I’d be surprised if that was true."