Hornets Plan To Hire Kenny Atkinson As Head Coach
[UPDATE: Kenny Atkinson Won’t Take Job With Hornets]
The Hornets plan to hire Kenny Atkinson to be their new head coach, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
The two sides have reached an agreement in principle, reports Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Atkinson will receive a four-year contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As Charania relays, Atkinson met with owner Michael Jordan and other high-level Hornets officials for his third interview on Wednesday. Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic previously pegged Atkinson as the frontrunner for the job, with Boone later stating that he could be hired by the end of this week.
Atkinson, 55, is currently an assistant coach with the Warriors and spent last season as an assistant with the Clippers. He’s most well-known for being the head coach of the Nets from 2016-20, leading an impressive turnaround during his four years at the helm.
Although Atkinson’s record 118-190 record with the Nets seems pretty poor, the team went just 20-62 in 2016/17, his first year, and made the playoffs two years later with a 42-40 record. He played a key role in developing players like Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and D’Angelo Russell, all of whom improved tremendously during his tenure.
The Hornets reportedly believe they’re on the verge of being a playoff team and wanted a head coach who will help the club take the next step. Atkinson is known for his player development skills and defensive acumen, so he could be a good fit for key players like LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.
Boone writes that Atkinson’s first task will be creating his coaching staff and deciding whether or not he wants to retain any of James Borrego‘s former assistants, who have all been working and awaiting their fates until a new coach was hired. Borrego was fired after Charlotte was blown out in the first game of the play-in tournament for the second consecutive year.
The Hornets control the Nos. 13, 15, and 45 picks in the 2022 NBA draft and have a number of mid-size contracts that could be dangled in trades, so it will be interesting to see how GM Mitch Kupchak reshapes the roster this summer with Atkinson as head coach. Bridges is also a restricted free agent and figures to receive a large contract, so balancing his large salary increase with the remainder of the roster is another thing to keep an eye on.
With Atkinson set to depart Golden State, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will be losing two key assistants this spring, as Mike Brown was hired to be the new head coach of the Kings last month.
Former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni was the other finalist for the Hornets’ vacancy, and while former Blazers coach Terry Stotts was reportedly in the running, it’s unclear if he ever got a third interview to meet with Jordan like Atkinson and D’Antoni did.
Brandon Ingram Had Successful Finger Surgery Tuesday
Pelicans star Brandon Ingram will be sidelined for approximately six-to-eight weeks after undergoing successful finger surgery on June 7, the team announced (via Twitter).
Since it’s the offseason for New Orleans, the six-to-eight week recovery timeline means that Ingram should be fully healed and ready to go ahead of training camp in late September.
The surgery, which was performed in Los Angeles, was on Ingram’s “right fifth finger to address a flexion contracture.” According to the National Library of Medicine, flexion contracture of fingers are characterized by a “chronic loss of joint motion in a finger due to structural changes in non-bony tissue.”
As Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes tweets, a flexion contracture essentially means that Ingram’s finger was bent and unable to be straightened without surgery. It can be caused by a “ligament, muscle or tendon injury,” Stotts adds.
Ingram had another strong season for the Pelicans in 2021/22. In 55 regular season games (34 minutes), he averaged 22.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on .461/.327/.826 shooting.
The 24-year-old was even better in the postseason for New Orleans, averaging 27.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists on .475/.407/.830 shooting in 39.3 minutes per contest. Ingram helped lead the Pelicans to a surprisingly competitive first-round series against the Suns, but they ultimately fell in six games.
Ingram still has three years remaining on the maximum-salary contract extension he signed with the Pelicans in 2020, so he’s locked up until ’24/25. He’ll earn $31.65MM in ’22/23.
Hawks’ Bogdanovic Reportedly Underwent Knee Surgery
Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic underwent surgery within the last few weeks to address a lingering right knee injury, according to a report from Rada Nikolić of SportKlub.rs (hat tip to EuroHoops).
Bogdanovic played through right knee soreness down the stretch and was sidelined for the Hawks’ final playoff game vs. Miami in April due to the issue.
As Nikolić writes, the doctor for the Serbian national team, Dragan Radovanović, referred to Bogdanovic having undergone a procedure on that knee when he explained why the veteran swingman won’t be available for this year’s EuroBasket tournament.
“Two or three weeks ago, (Bogdanovic) underwent surgery on his jumping right knee, and recovery takes time… at least three months,” Radovanović said, per a Google translation. “We hear from each other almost every day. The procedure went in the best order, at a clinic in California. He will stay in America for another month, and then he should come to Serbia.”
The Hawks have yet to put out a formal announcement about Bogdanovic’s surgery, so we don’t have any concrete information yet on the nature of the procedure or when he’s expected to resume basketball activities. The start of training camp is still about three-and-a-half months away.
Bogdanovic’s name has popped up in trade rumors already this offseason, with the Hawks said to be considering a roster shake-up and no one besides Trae Young considered untouchable. Teams discussing Bogdanovic with Atlanta will presumably want to take a close look at his medicals before seriously considering any deal involving him.
Stephen Curry To Play Without Restrictions In Game 4
Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who injured his left foot in Wednesday’s Game 3 loss to the Celtics, went through shootaround on Friday and is feeling good, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters, including ESPN’s Kendra Andrews (Twitter link).
Curry, who had been listed as probable on the injury report for Game 4, will play on Friday and won’t be under any kind of minutes restriction, according to Andrews.
Curry came up limping with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter of Game 3 after Al Horford rolled onto his left leg while the two players battled for a loose ball. The two-time MVP was walking with a limp after the game and compared the injury to the left foot strain that cost him the final 12 games of the regular season, but said it was “not as bad” this time around.
With 31.3 points per game on .485/.486/.833 shooting through the first three games of the NBA Finals, Curry will have to play a key role if the Warriors hope to erase their 2-1 deficit and win their fourth championship in the last eight years.
Andre Iguodala (right knee inflammation) and Otto Porter Jr. (left foot soreness) are listed as questionable to play in Friday’s contest.
Griffin ‘Confident’ Of Signing Zion To Max Extension
Appearing on a podcast with Ryen Russillo of The Ringer, Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin expressed confidence in signing Zion Williamson to a maximum-salary extension this offseason, though Griffin hinted the club will seek protections in the contract due to Williamson’s injury history.
“We feel really confident he wants to be here and we’re equally confident we can come to an agreement,” Griffin said.
Williamson expressed in his postseason press conference that he’s eager to sign long-term with the franchise after the team made a late run to reach the postseason. Griffin says it’s essentially a no-brainer he’ll get a max offer, which would be five years and at least $182MM.
“It was really comforting when he did his media availability in the postseason and said how much he buys into this,” Griffin said.
No player eligible for a rookie scale extension has ever turned down a maximum-salary offer, but given that Williamson missed the entire 2021/22 season due to a foot injury and has appeared in just 85 games since entering the league in 2019, the club may seek protections within the deal.
“It’s not a big decision. It’s a pretty easy decision,” Griffin said. “This is a max player. That’s easy. The kid is historically good when he plays. … What becomes significant with a team that’s a small market team and team that can’t make mistakes in terms of injuries over time, you have to indemnify yourself in some way.”
A report late last month suggested that ownership was reluctant to give Williamson a fully guaranteed max deal.
That would follow the lead of Philadelphia when Joel Embiid was eligible for his rookie scale extension. His five-year, maximum-salary extension included an injury protection for the franchise.
Griffin also addressed two other hot topics related to Williamson. He called the notion that there was a disconnect between the Pelicans and Williamson during his injury rehab “complete nonsense” driven by social media. “There was never a time when we were in the dark on Zion,” he said.
He also said Williamson was simply not healthy enough to suit up after he suffered an early-season setback. “The kid’s bone didn’t heal,” Griffin said.
Additionally, he noted that Williamson, who was cleared of any restrictions regarding his injury last month, has remained in town.
“He’s literally in our gym every day right now,” Griffin said.
Timberwolves To Hire Dell Demps In Front Office Role
The Timberwolves plan to hire Dell Demps to join the team’s front office, sources tell Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
A former NBA player, Demps joined San Antonio’s front office following his retirement and eventually moved to New Orleans, where he was hired as the Pelicans’ general manager in 2010. That same year, he hired Tim Connelly, Minnesota’s new president of basketball operations, to be his assistant GM, so the two have a long-standing relationship.
Demps, 52, was fired by the Pelicans in 2019. He later decided to try his hand at coaching, having served as an assistant coach for the Jazz since he joined Utah in 2020.
Mike Singer of The Denver Post reported last month that Demps joining Connelly in Minnesota was a possibility.
Once the move is official, Demps will become the second front office staff member hired by Connelly, with the first being senior vice president of basketball operations Matt Lloyd, who’s reportedly being hired away from the Magic.
Stephen Curry Expects To Play In Game 4 After Injuring Foot
1:43pm: “We expect (Curry) to play tomorrow,” Kerr told reporters, including Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kerr added that the team won’t practice Thursday and will instead use it as a rest and treatment day, tweets ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
“I’m going to play. That is all I know right now,” Curry said, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk (Twitter link).
11:51am: The Warriors are optimistic about Curry’s status for Game 4, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Curry apparently has avoided a major injury, won’t need an MRI, and plans to attend practice Thursday afternoon, says Charania.
7:36am: The Warriors fell behind 2-1 in the NBA Finals after losing to the Celtics in Game 3 on Wednesday, but they may have a more significant concern going forward than that one-game deficit. Star guard Stephen Curry sustained a left foot injury late in the game and likened it to the one he suffered vs. Boston in March, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
Battling for a loose ball with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Curry dove to the floor and got tangled up with Celtics big man Al Horford, who rolled onto Curry’s leg (video link). Curry came up limping, though he was able to stay on the court for nearly two more minutes before being subbed out once the Celtics put the game out of reach.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Curry said the injury felt similar to the left foot strain he suffered when Marcus Smart fell on his leg on March 16. That foot strain sidelined him for the final 12 games of the regular season, but the two-time MVP said it’s “not as bad” this time around and he’s hopeful the injury responds well to treatment over the next couple days.
“Obviously, in some pain, but I’ll be alright,” Curry said, according to Andrews. “We’ll see how it responds. Not much other to say. I don’t feel like I’ll miss a game. Take advantage of these next 48 hours to get ready.”
Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that the team would know more about Curry’s status on Thursday.
Although Boston’s defense has made Curry work hard for his points in the first three games of the Finals, he’s still the series’ leading scorer by a comfortable margin, having put up 31.3 PPG on .485/.486/.833 shooting.
“We need him if we want to win this thing,” Klay Thompson said after Wednesday’s loss, per Andrews. “I know Steph is going to do everything he can in his power to play. I am really hoping he’s OK because he’s our identity, and without him, it will be very difficult.”
Smart, who was involved in the play that caused Curry’s initial left foot injury in March, defended his teammate Horford after the game, dismissing the idea that Horford’s play was a reckless or dirty one.
“It’s the Finals. You’ve got guys diving all over the place. Their guys are diving into us. We don’t say nothing,” Smart told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “We’re getting hurt as well, but we continue to play. Nothing is intentional. It’s the Finals. We’re trying to win just like them. First one to the ball, as we all know, wins. They can complain all they want. It is what it is. There’s nothing dirty about it. It’s fair game. It’s fair basketball. It’s Finals basketball. … Nobody is out here trying to hurt anybody.”
Adam Silver Discusses Balancing Mid-Season Tournament With NBA Tradition
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has been a long-time proponent for adding a mid-season tournament, but he recognizes there would be a difficult balance between promoting the new event and maintaining the importance of the regular season. Silver discussed the challenges involved during an interview with Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
No matter when the tournament would take place, it will require a reduction in the regular season schedule, which has been set at 82 games per team since the 1967/68 season.
“The last thing I’m trying to suggest is that we don’t value our current regular season, it’s enormously valuable,” Silver said. “These teams care a lot about home-court advantage, and people can’t get enough of NBA basketball.”
A new tournament would be modeled after similar events in European soccer, providing all the teams with a break during the season and a new prize to play for. To be implemented, it would require agreement from the players union and two-thirds majority approval from the Board of Governors.
Silver provided a tournament update last week during his annual NBA Finals press conference, but admitted “we’re not there yet” as far as working out the details.
In his interview with Goodwill, Silver promised that regardless of what schedule changes are required, each team will continue to host every other team at least once per season.
“I think that’s critically important,” he said. “Everybody wants to see, even if it’s a cross-country trip, that wherever that player is on that team that plays in the other conference, they should have the opportunity to see that player at least once.”
Silver recognizes that as a new event, it may take some time for the tournament to catch on with both fans and players. The public may view is as just another event on an already-crowded winter sports calendar, while athletes may see it as a chance to rest if the stakes aren’t high enough.
“I’ll say I recognize that [if] we do that, it’s not going to be an overnight success,” Silver admitted. “Because the obvious question, whether it’s from the players or for the fans will be, ‘What? Why should we think this is meaningful? Playing in-season tournaments?’ My response is going to be, ‘I get that.’ But I think we can create new traditions, obviously, things change over time. And so that’s something I’m very focused on right now.”
Jazz To Interview Frank Vogel, Lamar Skeeter
Two more coaches have joined the list of candidates the Jazz intend to interview for their open head coaching position, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who reports that Frank Vogel and Lamar Skeeter are expected to sit down with the team.
Vogel coached the Lakers for the last three seasons, leading the team to a 127-98 (.564) regular season record and a 2020 championship before being dismissed in April. He reportedly interviewed with the Hornets following his exit from Los Angeles, but isn’t believed to be a finalist for Charlotte’s job.
Unlike Vogel, who has coached over 800 regular season games in Indiana, Orlando, and L.A., Skeeter doesn’t have any NBA head coaching experience, though he did coach the Jazz’s Summer League team in 2019. He has been a member of Utah’s staff for the last eight years, initially in a player development/video role and more recently as an assistant on Quin Snyder‘s staff.
Vogel and Skeeter are the seventh and eighth candidates reported to be getting interviews with the Jazz. Terry Stotts, Alex Jensen, Will Hardy, Johnnie Bryant, Charles Lee, and Joe Mazzulla are also said to be meeting with the team, while veteran assistants Adrian Griffin and Kevin Young have been mentioned as possible candidates too.
We’re keeping tabs on Utah’s head coaching search – and Charlotte’s – in our 2022 head coach search tracker.
Latest On Jazz’s Head Coaching Search
The Jazz have been given the green light to talk to several well-regarded current assistant coaches about their head coaching vacancy, per Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Several of the names Woj and MacMahon mention had been floated as possibilities in reports earlier this week, but Celtics assistant coach Joe Mazzulla joins an expanding list of assistant coaches under consideration by Jazz brass.
As Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets, Mazzulla worked as an assistant coach under both Brad Stevens and now Ime Udoka in Boston, and has assumed a more significant role while on Udoka’s bench this season. Mazzulla interviewed for the head coaching position with Boston in 2021 after Stevens moved into a front office role with the franchise and will get an opportunity to meet with the Jazz this spring.
Woj and MacMahon indicate that Utah is also set to interview current Jazz assistant Alex Jensen, who served on the staff of departed head coach Quin Snyder, along with former Blazers coach Terry Stotts, Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant, Celtics assistant Will Hardy, and Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee. These five candidates had been included on the team’s preliminary list.
Suns assistant coach Kevin Young and Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin were previously cited as possible candidates, but they weren’t mentioned in today’s ESPN report.
The other key piece of new information from Wojnarowski and MacMahon is that the coaching search is anticipated to expand further to include both assistants and recent NBA head coaches. According to ESPN’s duo, the team will cast a wide net and move gradually in its search.
In eight seasons with Snyder at the helm, Utah never advanced beyond the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. This year, the Jazz finished with a 49-33 regular season record and lost 4-2 in the first round to the Mavericks.