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Eastern Notes: Bucks, Holiday, Bulls, Reddish

July 4th, 2021 at 7:46pm CST by JD Shaw

The job isn’t done yet for the Bucks, who reached the NBA Finals this weekend for the first time since 1974, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes.

Milwaukee swept Miami in the first round, defeated Brooklyn 4-3 in the second round and most recently beat Atlanta 4-2, but the team remains four wins away from achieving its goal: winning the NBA title.

“As a head coach, I feel fortunate to have been through this experience and kind of have seen it from a different seat (as an assistant with San Antonio), but now to do it as a head coach is special,” Mike Budenholzer said of making the Finals for the first time as a head coach.

“But it’s the players that do it. I love our group. I love coaching them. I’m happy for them. When I take a second tonight, when we take a second tonight, it’s really just joy and happiness for your players; that they put the work in, the time to get to this place, and just be happy for them.”

There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:

The Jrue Holiday gamble yielded a jackpot for the Bucks, Sopan Deb of the New York Times writes. Holiday poured in 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the team’s series-clinching victory on Saturday, making a strong impact in the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee). The Bucks had to pay a steep price to acquire the 31-year-old last November: Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, two first-round picks, first-round swap rights in two years, and the draft rights to R.J. Hampton. To this point, it’s paid off.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks previews the Bulls‘ offseason, which is set to include important decisions related to Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and others. “We place expectations on our team about winning games,” executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said. “We are certainly not satisfied. But we will learn from it, adjust and make sure what did not go well does not happen again. We will continue being aggressive in our efforts to make this team better, whether that’s through trades, free agency or the draft.”
Hawks second-year guard Cam Reddish will play for the team during summer league next month, Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Reddish missed most of the 2020/21 season due to injury, but the 21-year-old did finish with 21 points, three rebounds and three assists in the team’s Game 6 loss.

Heat Could Use Bucks' Blueprint And Add Third Star

July 4th, 2021 at 1:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Bucks‘ run to the NBA Finals might reveal what the Heat lacked this season, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. In addition to perpetual All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and occasional All-Star swingman Khris Middleton, Milwaukee added borderline All-Star guard Jrue Holiday to the mix this season. Holiday’s excellent two-way play and ball-handling abilities helped take Milwaukee to the next level.

After the Heat were swept out of the first round by the Bucks, it seemed apparent that offseason roster changes would be coming. Now, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel suggests that exactly what transpires could be predicated on how certain timing elements shake out. The club’s front office, led by team president Pat Riley, will have to decide on expensive team options for former All-Stars Goran Dragic, 35, and Andre Iguodala, 37, on August 1. The club holds a $15MM team option on Iguodala and a $19.4MM option on Dragic. If the club wants to use its 2028 first-round pick in any trade, it will have to wait until after the July 29 draft. If the Heat want to use role players Duncan Robinson or Kendrick Nunn as sign-and-trade fodder, the team will only be able to do so after August 6.
Former Nets head coach and current Clippers assistant coach Kenny Atkinson, who oversaw a successful rebuild in Brooklyn, appears to not be one of the major candidates for the Magic head coaching job, writes Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel. Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr., Spurs assistant Becky Hammon, Suns assistant Willie Green, Bucks assistant Charles Lee, and three assistants of now-former Magic coach Steve Clifford all will interview or have already interviewed for the job. Hays wonders why Atkinson’s name hasn’t also made the cut, given his track record as a solid coach adept at developing young talent.

Bucks Notes: Antetokounmpo, NBA Finals, Holiday, Budenholzer

July 4th, 2021 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

After years of frustration as he tried to reach the NBA Finals, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was stuck on the sidelines Saturday as his teammates took him there, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Many feared Milwaukee’s chances were over when Antetokounmpo suffered a hyperextended knee in Game 4, but the supporting cast stepped up and dispatched Atlanta without him.

Although Antetokounmpo was injured, he was standing through virtually all of Saturday’s game, cheering on his team and offering advice and encouragement.

“He’s halfway on the court talking to Bobby (Portis), talking to Brook (Lopez), talking to different players, to see that kind of connection, commitment, from a player who would be dying to be out there and playing,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I think he appreciates, you know, what his teammates can do.”

There’s more on the Bucks:

Antetokoumpo’s status remains uncertain heading into the Finals, which will start Tuesday in Phoenix. There was reportedly optimism that he would try to play Monday if the Hawks series had gone to a seventh game. He did on-court work yesterday for the first time since suffering the injury, but little was revealed about that session. Budenholzer told reporters that he will evaluate Antetokounmpo on a day-to-day basis with help from general manager Jon Horst and the sports performance team, tweets Ben Golliver of The Washington Post.
Milwaukee paid a huge price for Jrue Holiday over the offseason, sending three first-round picks and two potential swaps to the Pelicans, but he’s showing he was worth it, observes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. With Antetokounmpo injured, Holiday averaged 26 points, 7.5 rebounds and 11 assists in Games 5 and 6. “Within the team, we just love playing with him,” Pat Connaughton said. “We love having him on board. We love the type of guy he is as a person. As a player, he always makes the right play. When he’s in attack mode he’s really hard to stop not just from a scoring standpoint but from getting other guys involved, getting guys easy shots, getting open shots, whatever it might be.”
Budenholzer has been maligned for playoff disappointments in Milwaukee and Atlanta, but he made an important decision after Game 4 that helped swing the series in the Bucks’ favor, Nehm adds. Budenholzer abandoned the team’s traditional drop coverage on the pick-and-roll and asked his big men to switch on ball screens. “He’s done more adjusting this year than he’s ever done before, schemes and some of the things that we’re doing, he’s getting a little more adventurous,” said P.J. Tucker. “And I think the personnel, that gives him a freedom to do that a lot more and that’s one of the reasons we’ve been so successful.”

Central Notes: Sexton, Cavaliers, Antetokounmpo, Brogdon

July 3rd, 2021 at 7:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat are the best trading partner if the Cavaliers are looking to move guard Collin Sexton, contends Nekias Duncan of BasketballNews.com. Sexton is only 22 and is coming off his best season, averaging 24.3 points per game, but he will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer. Cleveland is focused on re-signing restricted free agent center Jarrett Allen and may not want to hand out a second large contract.

Duncan likes the fit for Sexton in Miami because the Heat need another scorer who can attack the rim. Sexton’s limitations as a play-maker wouldn’t matter as much with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo handling the ball, Duncan adds, while coach Eric Spoelstra could find ways to overcome Sexton’s defensive issues.

Duncan suggests it would be easy to include Kevin Love in the potential trade and get his contract off Cleveland’s books. Miami could match salary by picking up its options on Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala and possibly including Tyler Herro and KZ Okpala in the deal.

Duncan mentions the Raptors, Celtics and Lakers as other possible destinations for Sexton.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers have gotten calls from teams interested in their No. 3 pick, but nothing has moved beyond “cursory conversations,” according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Magic, who own the fifth and eighth selections, and the Warriors, who have No. 7 and 14, could be teams to watch if talks get more serious.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to do on-court work today for the first time since hyperextending his left knee Tuesday night, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. Coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed the workout in a pre-game session with reporters, adds Eric Nehm of The Athletic (via Twitter), but said he wasn’t able to watch it.
A source tells J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star that the Pacers haven’t had any trade talks with the Sixers involving the 13th pick (Twitter link). A report Friday said Philadelphia declined an offer of Malcolm Brogdon and the pick for Ben Simmons. The Pacers tend to avoid large contracts like Simmons has, Michael adds, noting that owner Herb Simon vetoed a trade for Mike Conley two years ago. Indiana is open to moving the pick, according to Michael, but he says there have been no talks with the Sixers, who are hoping to land Damian Lillard from the Trail Blazers.

Darvin Ham Interviews For Wizards’ Coaching Vacancy

July 3rd, 2021 at 5:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards have interviewed Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as they look for their next head coach, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. Katz adds that there is “some support” within the organization for hiring Ham.

Ham was among the candidates who interviewed for the Celtics’ job last month before they chose Ime Udoka, Katz notes (via Twitter). He also interviewed last year for an opening at Texas Tech, where he went to school, and for head coaching vacancies with the Clippers, Bulls and Pacers.

The 47-year-old has been an assistant in Milwaukee since Mike Budenholzer was hired in 2018, and he spent five seasons with Budenholzer in Atlanta as well. He started his NBA coaching career with the Lakers in 2011.

Prior to that, Ham spent eight years in the league as a player and was with the Wizards during the 1997/98 season.

Other names that have been mentioned in Washington’s coaching search include Celtics assistant Scott Morrison, Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley, Sixers assistant Sam Cassell, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Bulls assistant Chris Fleming, Suns assistant Willie Green and Nuggets associate head coach Wes Unseld Jr.

Keep track of all the developments on the NBA coaching front with our Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Officially Out For Game 6

July 3rd, 2021 at 12:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will officially miss Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Hawks tonight with a left knee hyperextension, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

Antetokounmpo first suffered the injury in the second half of Game 4, an eventual 110-88 Atlanta victory.

The Bucks initially listed Antetokounmpo as doubtful to suit up for tonight’s game, though there appears to be growing optimism that, should the series require a Game 7 (Milwaukee currently leads 3-2), the All-NBA First Teamer could become available.

The status of Hawks star point guard Trae Young, sidelined with a right foot bone bruise suffered in Game 3 of the series, is still up in the air.

Without Antetokounmpo for a second of Game 5 on Wednesday, the Bucks held off the Hawks sans Young, winning 123-112.

Milwaukee is on the cusp of its first NBA Finals appearance in 47 years, and a victory in either of the next two games will clinch a matchup against the Suns, who defeated the Clippers in six games on the other side of the playoff bracket.

Antetokounmpo Doubtful to Play In Game 6; Young Listed As Questionable

July 2nd, 2021 at 6:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

6:08pm: It’s believed the Bucks would give Antetokounmpo the green light to play in Game 7 if he sits out on Saturday and the Hawks win, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.

4:33pm: Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is once again listed as doubtful to play as the team attempts to clinch the Eastern Conference Finals in Atlanta on Saturday, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Hawks star guard Trae Young is listed as questionable to play in Game 6 by his team with the season on the line, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.

With both of the teams’ top players sitting out, Milwaukee took a 3-2 lead in the series with a 123-112 win on Thursday. Antetokounmpo suffered a hyperextension of his left knee in Game 4, while Young sustained a right foot bone bruise in Game 3.

Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic, who scored a team-high 28 points in Game 5, is listed as probable despite right knee soreness.

Bucks Notes: Portis, Bogdanovic, Lopez, Holiday

July 2nd, 2021 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Nobody knows where Bobby Portis might have been Thursday night if the Bucks‘ offseason attempt to trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic had worked out, but he wouldn’t have been helping Milwaukee move to within a game of the NBA Finals, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined by a hyperextended left knee, Portis moved into the starting lineup and contributed 22 points and eight rebounds in a Game 5 win over the Hawks.

Signing Portis wasn’t Plan A for the Bucks, who were focused on improving their outside shooting by adding Bogdanovic, a restricted free agent, in a sign-and-trade arrangement. Rumors of that deal with the Kings leaked in mid-November, but it wouldn’t have been legal at the time because it would have involved negotiations before the start of free agency. The NBA launched an investigation and the rumored trade wound up getting scrapped.

General manager Jon Horst landed Portis instead on a two-year contract worth $7.4MM. He brought a physical style to the team as Antetokounmpo’s backup and quickly became a fan favorite.

“Milwaukee’s a tough city,” Portis said. “You know, some people at the start of the season — they were telling us all about the city and how tough it is to live here and things like that, and you know, the city goes through a lot. So, when they see somebody that gives his all and works hard, because it’s a blue-collar city and I’m a blue-collar player, I’m going to make the shots — whether they are going in or not, I still give my all to the team 100 percent, for the name in front of the jersey and they love players like that.”

There’s more on the Bucks:

Portis is getting a chance to shine after being kept on the bench for the final three games of the Nets series. He might have faced an uncertain future if the Bucks had lost to Brooklyn, according to Vincent Goodwill of The Athletic, but now he has a chance to show that he can be part of Milwaukee’s future.
Brook Lopez also responded to Antetokounmpo’s absence with a career-best playoff performance, notes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Lopez posted 33 points and had seven rebounds, four blocks and two steals as Milwaukee turned to the veteran center to take advantage of Atlanta’s lack of size. “That was a great opportunity for him to I think just get the ball a little bit more, try and use him a little bit more and he came through big time,” coach Mike Budenholzer said.
The Bucks have been collecting players who fit well around Antetokounmpo, and that combination worked Thursday night, observes Royce Young of ESPN. One important offseason addition was Jrue Holiday, who was acquired in a trade with the Pelicans. Holiday is an elite defender whose scoring has been inconsistent throughout the playoffs, but he delivered 25 points and 13 assists in Game 5. “I just knew I had to be aggressive. Whatever that means, Giannis being out or not, I knew that I had to be aggressive,” he said.

Trae Young Won’t Play In Game 5; Capela To Suit Up

July 1st, 2021 at 6:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

6:17pm: Young “just didn’t feel comfortable enough to go tonight,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. Center Clint Capela, who was listed as questionable, will play, according to Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter links).

5:46pm: Hawks star point guard Trae Young won’t play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bucks tonight, Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews of ESPN tweet.

Young is hopeful of playing in Game 6 in Atlanta on Saturday. Young also missed Game 4, a 110-88 Hawks victory, due to a right foot bone bruise.

He was listed as questionable to play in Game 5 but obviously the injury hasn’t healed sufficiently for Young to suit up. He was injured in Game 3 after stepping on an official’s foot.

Both teams will be missing their best player in the pivotal game of a series tied at two games apiece. Giannis Antetokounmpo was ruled out earlier in the day after hyperextending his left knee in Game 4.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Ruled Out For Game 5

July 1st, 2021 at 12:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo will officially miss tonight’s Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Bucks announced on Twitter.

The two-time MVP had been listed as doubtful after hyperextending his left knee in an awkward fall Tuesday night. Tests conducted Wednesday showed no structural damage to the knee, but a timetable hasn’t been put forth for his return.

“When you talk about the range of possibilities, I think where this has landed has to be looked at as a positive,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer told Eric Nemh of The Athletic. “It’s still a really difficult fall. … It’s part of sport. It’s part of the playoffs. We’ll manage it both from a Giannis perspective, from a team’s perspective, and we’ve just got to keep moving, get ready for Game 5.”

Nehm also examines how Milwaukee fared during the regular season when Antetokounmpo didn’t play. He notes that the Bucks went 6-2 when Giannis wasn’t active and the rest of the rotation was available.

Budenholzer hasn’t announced who will take Antetokounmpo’s place in the starting lineup and indicated that a decision may not come until shortly before the game, Nehm tweets.

“At some point, you’ve got to pull the trigger and make a decision,” Budenholzer said. We’ll probably do that and then we’ll probably tell you we don’t know who we are playing and planning on starting and then at tip-off or whatever, you guys will get it.”