NBA’s Play-In Tournament Likely Here To Stay
While some high-profile players and team owners have griped about the NBA’s newly-introduced play-in tournament, the format is working “spectacularly well” and has virtually no downside, contends John Hollinger of The Athletic.
As Hollinger writes, the new wrinkle has generated excitement at more levels of the standings, with teams in the 4-6 range fighting to hold their positions and clubs in the 9-12 range trying to win games rather than pivoting to tanking. As a result, we’re getting more interesting late-season matchups, with fewer teams coasting into the postseason.
“I think it’s great,” one assistant coach told Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer. “It gives lesser and younger teams something to play for toward the end of the season. It makes teams not tank and helps younger teams grow and develop.”
The play-in tournament will see the No. 7 team host the No. 8 team, with the winner claiming the seventh seed in the conference. To determine the eighth seed, the loser of that game would play the winner of a game between the Nos. 9 and 10 teams.
As Uggetti points out, one counter-argument against the play-in format being implemented in 2020/21 specifically is that COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on some teams’ seasons, affecting player availability and impacting players’ performances even after they return. A franchise hit hard during the season by COVID-19 may end up in the play-in tournament when it should have been a top-six seed. Additionally, a club affected by the virus during the next week or two could be missing key players as it tries to win a play-in game.
“The apocalypse option is what if a No. 6 seed or No. 7 seed gets hit with COVID?” a Western Conference general manager said to Uggetti. “And they have to play in the play-in, lose, and then they don’t make the playoffs?”
That would certainly be a worst-case scenario for the league, but it’s more of an argument against holding a season during a pandemic at all than an argument against the play-in tournament. A player who contracts the virus typically misses at least two or three weeks, so an entire playoff round could conceivably be affected by bad COVID-19 luck — not just one or two play-in games.
Other people around the league who are lukewarm on the play-in concept have suggested that the format devalues the regular season results and that play-in games should be conditional based on the standings. For instance, if the No. 8 seed has a substantial cushion on the No. 9 team, then perhaps a play-in shouldn’t be necessary.
“What if the No. 7 seed has a four-game lead on No. 8? And now it’s gonna almost be like Game 7 of the Finals, win or go home? It’s not really fair,” one Eastern Conference executive said to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. “Anything can happen. And someone can get hurt.”
There’s some validity to that complaint, but the NBA has long allowed more than half of its 30 teams to automatically qualify for the postseason, which is something of a devaluation of the regular season in its own right. For a club that finishes seventh in a conference of 15 teams in the regular season, perhaps a favorable path to a playoff spot is a more appropriate reward than an automatic playoff berth.
Concerns about subjecting strong No. 7 seeds to a play-in game may also overstate the potential volatility of the tournament. If a seventh-seeded team finished the regular season with a significantly better record than the other three clubs in the play-in tournament, there’s no reason that team shouldn’t be able to win at least one of two potential home games against those lesser opponents.
Hollinger touches on this point in his column, responding to critics who say the NBA would be shooting itself in the foot if a possible contender like the Lakers or Celtics has to participate in the play-in tournament and is eliminated before the playoffs even begin.
As Hollinger observes, if those teams can’t win one of two play-in games to clinch a playoff spot, it’s probably safe to assume they weren’t going to be legitimate contenders anyway. If the Lakers finish seventh, the likeliest outcome is that the NBA would get great TV ratings for the play-in tournament and L.A. would ultimately earn a playoff spot anyway, Hollinger adds.
Evan Wasch, who is the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball strategy and analytics and has become the spokesperson for issues relating to the play-in tournament, tells Uggetti that he values positive or negative feedback from teams and will take it into account as the league considers possible tweaks going forward. By the sounds of it though, the play-in format is probably here to stay.
“I’ve talked to the league at length about this, and it’s not going anywhere,” the aforementioned Western GM said to Uggetti. “They studied the European (soccer) models and they want to expand winning as much as they can to other markets and teams. There’s only one NBA champion, and this is a way for more teams to make it to the playoffs and for them to have the broader market appeal of winning something.”
Zach LaVine Set To Return On Thursday
Bulls guard Zach LaVine will return to action on Thursday after missing the team’s last 11 games due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). LaVine had cleared the protocols this week and was targeting Thursday’s game in Charlotte for his return.
Following LaVine’s most recent appearance on April 14, Chicago was clinging to the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference at 22-32. Since then, however, the red-hot Wizards have surpassed the Bulls, as have the up-and-down Raptors. Having lost seven of 11 games without LaVine, Chicago is now in 12th place, a full four games back of the No. 10 Wizards.
In other words, with just seven games left in the Bulls’ season, LaVine’s return will probably come too late to make a real impact on the team’s playoff hopes — especially if it takes him some time to get back up to full speed following what was reportedly a case of COVID-19.
Still, the 26-year-old will be looking to finish strong as he concludes the best season of his seven-year career. An All-Star for the first time in 2021, LaVine is averaging career-high marks in points per game (27.5), assists per game (5.1), and rebounds per game (5.1), with a career-best .506/.416/.848 shooting line in 53 games (35.2 MPG).
Bjorkgren, Stotts, Budenholzer Among Coaches On Hot Seat
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday that Nate Bjorkgren‘s future as the Pacers‘ head coach is uncertain, and Shams Charania and Sam Amick echo that point in their latest report for The Athletic. According to The Athletic’s duo, Bjorkgren’s “abrasive” style and a tendency to be controlling with assistants and other staff members has been a cause for concern.
Sources tell Charania and Amick that multiple Pacers players have expressed dissatisfaction with Bjorkgren this season, with Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis among those who haven’t been on the same page with the first-year coach. Those same sources tell The Athletic that several Pacers players feel the analytical style Bjorkgren has employed doesn’t suit the team’s personnel.
The growing pains Bjorkgren has experienced in Indiana don’t necessarily mean that the Pacers will make a coaching change at season’s end, but the situation is worth keeping a close eye on, per Charania and Amick.
The two Athletic reporters also singled out a few other coaching situations worth watching around the NBA. Here are a few highlights from their report:
- The Trail Blazers are increasingly likely to part ways with head coach Terry Stotts this offseason unless he can “pull a rabbit out of his hat” and make a deep playoff run, according to Charania and Amick. Sources tell The Athletic that Stotts has less player support this season than he has in past years. Charania and Amick identify Jason Kidd, Dave Joerger, Chauncey Billups, Brent Barry, and – if he becomes available – Nate McMillan as potential targets for Portland if the team makes a change.
- There’s significant pressure on Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer entering the postseason, according to Charania and Amick, who say Budenholzer’s job will be in serious danger if the team is eliminated in the first two rounds. Budenholzer has one year left on his contract after 2020/21, per The Athletic’s duo.
- Luke Walton of the Kings and Scott Brooks of the Wizards are other coaches whose job security isn’t exactly rock solid, but Charania and Amick point to financial considerations in Sacramento and a recent hot streak in D.C. as factors working in favor of Walton and Brooks keeping their jobs. Walton has a strong relationship with Kings GM Monte McNair, while Brooks is well-liked in Washington, note Charania and Amick. Still, the long-term future of Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard is also somewhat uncertain, which further clouds Brooks’ status.
Knee Injury To Sideline Haliburton For Rest Of Regular Season
Promising Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton is expected to miss the rest of the 2020/21 regular season with a hyperextended left knee, per a team press release. An MRI examination revealed the injury.
The 28-37 Kings are currently the No. 12 seed in the West, 3.5 games behind the tenth-seeded Spurs for a play-in tournament berth. The club’s statement did not disclose whether or not Haliburton would be available for a potential play-in or playoff appearance, but the odds are against Sacramento making up that ground.
The injury, suffered Sunday in a game against the Mavericks, will not require surgical treatment. Haliburton, a leading contender for Rookie of the Year honors, will be missing Sacramento’s final eight games, including a game tonight.
Sacramento selected the 6’5″ Haliburton with the No. 12 pick out of Iowa State during the 2020 draft. In 58 games (including 20 starts) with the Kings, Haliburton has averaged 13.0 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.3 SPG across 30.1 MPG. The 21-year-old is boasting a solid shooting line of .472/.409/.857.
Bjorkgren’s Long-Term Status With Pacers Uncertain
In an intriguing development, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN hears from sources tell him first-year Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren may not last as the head man on Indiana’s bench beyond this season, citing the coach’s fraught relationships with both players and staffers. Woj does add that Bjorkgren has acknowledged an interest in addressing the problem.
After logging several years as an assistant coach for the Raptors, Bjorkgren signed a three-year deal with Indiana during the 2020 offseason. Woj notes that the coach’s salary for the 2021/22 season is fully guaranteed.
Bjorkgren has led an injury-plagued roster to a mediocre 30-34 record, good for the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference. So long as Indiana secures at least the 10th seed in the East, it will compete in a play-in tournament to qualify for the first round of the playoffs this year. The club has eight games remaining on its schedule.
Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets that the Pacers are grappling with a plurality of locker room “issues” that he agrees need to be ironed out, indicating that there has been an atypical level of internal conflict since January (Twitter link).
Like many teams across this truncated NBA season, the Pacers have dealt with a significant amount of injury- and health-related absences. Players hit the hardest include starting center Myles Turner (who has missed 17 games and counting), reserve wing Jeremy Lamb (28 games and counting), newly acquired Pacers forward Caris LeVert (24 games), and starting small forward T.J. Warren, healthy for just four games this season.
Elsewhere on the team’s drama front, the Pacers were concerned that they would lose former star guard Victor Oladipo to unrestricted free agency this summer, and so dealt him to the Rockets. He was subsequently traded again to the Heat at the March deadline. Nagging injury troubles have beset Oladipo at all three stops this season.
PJ Dozier Suffers Right Adductor Strain
An MRI today has revealed that Nuggets guard PJ Dozier has suffered a right adductor strain, tweets Mike Singer of the Denver Post.
The extent to which right adductor strain injuries can affect a player’s availability varies from case to case, but Dozier could be out at least a week as he recovers. The 6’6″ combo guard out of South Carolina has been enjoying a solid season with the Nuggets, his fourth in the NBA.
The 24-year-old Denver guard has carved out a rotational role with an ascendant Nuggets team for 2020/21. In 50 contests, he is averaging career bests of 7.7 PPG and 3.6 RPG, along with 1.8 APG, across 21.8 MPG.
Losing Dozier could mean that the Nuggets could rely on recently-added combo guard Austin Rivers to further pick up the slack. The Nuggets’ depleted backcourt is also, of course, without star guard Jamal Murray, done for the year with an ACL tear. Shooting guard Will Barton is sidelined with a “significant” hamstring strain, while backup point guard Monte Morris has missed the club’s last nine contests.
LeBron James Expected To Miss At Least Two More Games
After leaving Sunday’s loss early due to right ankle soreness, Lakers star LeBron James likely won’t return to action until at least next Sunday, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Wojnarowski, James is expected to miss Thursday’s game vs. the Clippers and Friday’s vs. Portland as he rests his troublesome ankle. LeBron, who also sat out Monday’s contest vs. Denver, missed 20 games due to a right high ankle sprain and had only been back for two games when he reaggravated the injury.
As Woj notes, the expectation is that the 36-year-old will proceed cautiously with his ankle, focusing on getting healthy for the postseason. James had suggested on Sunday night that he was prioritizing the playoffs over fighting for regular season seeding.
“It doesn’t matter at the end of the day (where the Lakers land in the standings) if I’m not 100% or close to 100%,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
While LeBron’s stance makes sense, his ongoing absence will put the team at greater risk of losing its grip on a top-six seed in the West — a seventh-place finish would mean having to participate in at least one play-in game to secure a postseason spot. As we noted earlier today, Friday’s game in Portland is particularly important, since the Lakers and Blazers are neck-and-neck in the standings and Friday’s winner will gain a tiebreaker advantage.
Miles Bridges Out 10-To-14 Days Due To Protocols
The Hornets may have to finish the regular season without Miles Bridges, who is expected to miss 10-to-14 days after entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The 10- to 14-day timeline is normally associated with a positive COVID-19 test, although that hasn’t been confirmed. Bridges is currently in quarantine, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The third-year forward is having another productive season, averaging 12.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 29.0 minutes per night.
Charlotte is eighth in the East with a 31-33 record and trying to avoid slipping into the lower play-in game. The Hornets enter tonight one game ahead of the Pacers and a game-and-a-half in front of the Wizards.
In addition to being without Bridges, the Hornets are also missing Gordon Hayward (foot), Devonte’ Graham (knee), Cody Martin (ankle), and P.J. Washington (personal), per the team (Twitter link).
Magic Sign Sindarius Thornwell To Two-Way Contract
The Magic have signed free agent guard Sindarius Thornwell to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release. Devin Cannady has been waived in a corresponding roster move.
Thornwell, 26, spent his first two NBA seasons with the Clippers after being selected 48th overall in the 2017 draft. He later caught on with the Pelicans for the 2020 summer restart and spent much of the 2020/21 season with New Orleans as well, first on a non-guaranteed contract, then on a pair of 10-day deals. The Pels didn’t re-sign him after that, largely due to luxury tax concerns.
In 153 career games, Thornwell has averaged just 2.5 PPG and 1.3 RPG in 10.3 minutes per contest. However, his shooting percentages (.414 FG%, .348 3PT%) haven’t been too bad, and he’s considered a solid perimeter defender.
Cannady recently underwent season-ending ankle surgery and was on an expiring deal, so there was no real incentive for the Magic to keep him under contract for the rest of the 2020/21 season. I’d expect Orlando to consider him for either a new two-way deal or a spot on the team’s G League affiliate once he fully recovers from his ankle injury.
Cavs Officially Sign Anderson Varejão To 10-Day Deal
The Cavaliers have officially brought back longtime center Anderson Varejão, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed him to a 10-day contract. The move had been expected once Cleveland was granted a hardship exception, which allows the team to carry an extra player.
If it feels like it’s been a while since you’ve seen Varejão in the NBA, you’re not wrong — the 38-year-old big man played his last NBA game on February 2, 2017 before being waived by the Warriors a day later. He spent two years playing professionally in Brazil after that, but has been inactive since 2019.
The Cavaliers view their reunion with Varejão as a “celebratory contract” for a player who spent over a decade with the franchise, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com wrote last week. It’s probably safe to assume Varejão won’t be a regular rotation player for the Cavs during the next 10 days, but he’s expected to see a little action before he officially calls it a career.
“Andy embodies all that the city of Cleveland stands for and beyond, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring his experience, leadership and character back into this locker room,” Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman said in a statement. “His infectious work ethic and commitment to our community have earned him his rightful place in the fabric of this organization and all of Northeast Ohio, and have established a genuine admiration that resonates strongly throughout our passionate fan base.
“There are not many athletes who can impact the game of basketball the way Andy has over his career, and I feel that our players will benefit greatly from their daily interaction with him. We are thrilled to welcome Andy and family back to the Cavaliers.”
Varejão, who put out his own statement expressing gratitude to Altman and team owner Dan Gilbert for the opportunity, spent 13 seasons in the NBA, including over 11 with Cleveland. In 591 career regular season games with the franchise, he averaged 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest. He also played in 71 postseason games with the Cavs before finishing his career with the Warriors.
Because a contract signed using a hardship exception can only be a 10-day deal, Varejão’s contract – which will pay him $175,668 – will only run through May 13. Assuming the Cavs still meet the criteria for the hardship provision, they could sign him to a rest-of-season contract after that if they want to retain him for the last two games of the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.