Connecticut Star Jordan Hawkins Declaring For Draft
2023 NCAA champion Jordan Hawkins, a sophomore guard for Connecticut, is declaring for the NBA draft, as he informed Malika Andrews of ESPN during today’s broadcast of NBA Today (Twitter video link).
Hawkins is projected by ESPN’s big board to be the No. 15 pick in the impending 2023 draft.
“Hearing my name called on draft night will be a blessing,” Hawkins told Andrews, (hat tip to Jonathan Givony of ESPN). “I worked so hard for this, me and my dad, we’ve been through so much.
“When I first stepped on campus in Storrs, I was a little kid, just 160 pounds,” Hawkins continued. “I didn’t know the college game. Coach [Dan] Hurley threw me into the fire. He guided me through it. It means the world for me having him, having this opportunity. He told me sophomore year, I need to step my game up, make a name for myself. It’s amazing what we did together as a team.”
The 6’5″ swingman was an All-Big East First Teamer this season. He logged averages of 16.2 PPG with .409/.445/.887 shooting splits. He also chipped in 3.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, and 0.7 SPG. During Connecticut’s title game against San Diego State, Hawkins scored 16 points.
As Givony notes, Hawkins is considered an elite shooter, and improved as a ball-handler and defender this season, two skills that scouts are hoping he continues to develop at the next level. He went 21-of-42 from deep during the Huskies’ six-game tourney run.
“Shooting is my super power,” Hawkins said. “There are a lot of ball-dominant guys in the NBA who can create their own [shot]. I can be a knockdown shooter and play a significant role right away. As time moves on, I can develop and become an even bigger piece of the rotation, because I know I’m more than just a shooter. There’s more to my game, but I have to prove it to people.”
Injury Notes: Heat, Sixers, Robinson, Mavericks
With the seventh seed in the East now sewn up, the Heat will rest their three priciest players and their first-round rookie draft pick tonight against the Wizards, the team has announced (Twitter link).
All-Star center Bam Adebayo will be unavailable due to a left quadriceps tendon strain, small forward Jimmy Butler will miss the bout with a right hand contusion, and veteran point guard Kyle Lowry will rest with a knee ailment. Rookie power forward Nikola Jovic will also be out due to a back injury.
Three other players are considered questionable with various maladies. The statuses of guards Tyler Herro and Max Struss are uncertain due to a right quad contusion and a hyperextended right finger, respectively. Veteran big man Kevin Love‘s availability is murky due to a right rib contusion.
Here are more injury notes:
- The Sixers will sit All-Star center Joel Embiid, a 2023 MVP hopeful, point guard James Harden, forward P.J. Tucker and shooting guard Tyrese Maxey against the Hawks, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Forward Tobias Harris and reserve guard Jaden Springer are questionable to suit up.
- The Knicks have announced that they will rest starting center Mitchell Robinson tonight against the Pelicans (via Twitter). At 47-33, New York is now locked into the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed, as the team is three games ahead of the Nets in the East standings with just two games left in its regular season schedule.
- The Suns will sit their top four players tonight against the Lakers. Sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter) that Phoenix, playing in the second night of a back-to-back set of bouts, will be without All-Star forward Kevin Durant, All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker, future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul, and maximum-salaried center Deandre Ayton against Los Angeles tonight. Charania notes that the Suns have locked up the West’s fourth seed.
- The Mavericks tweet that All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, guard Josh Green, wing Tim Hardaway Jr., and frontcourt players Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood will all sit out tonight’s game against the Bulls. Dallas is just 0.5 games behind the Thunder for the West’s No. 10 seed, but sitting all these key rotation players appears to signal a subtle surrender of the club’s season. The Mavericks are currently tied for the 10th-worst record in the NBA, and given that they owe a top 10-protected first-round pick to the Knicks this year, it makes sense that they would hope to preserve their future draft selection.
Coaching Changes May Be Coming In Detroit, Toronto, Houston
The Pistons, Raptors and Rockets are the main teams to watch for head coaching changes once the NBA season ends, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Detroit’s Dwane Casey met with ownership to discuss his future after Wednesday’s game, and sources tell Fischer that some staff members are preparing for a change to take place. Fischer cites a source with knowledge of the situation who says Casey may be given the option of returning as head coach for the final year of his contract or moving into an advisory role with the front office.
Bucks assistant Charles Lee, who has interviewed for numerous head coaching positions in the past, is a top candidate if the Pistons’ job opens up, according to Fischer, who hears that Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin may be given consideration as well. Griffin previously worked under general manager Troy Weaver as an assistant coach in Oklahoma City.
Nick Nurse amplified questions about his status in Toronto last weekend when he said he plans to take some time after the season to evaluate his future with the organization. There were already rumors that the Raptors were considering a coaching move following a disappointing season that will result in a spot in the play-in tournament.
Former Celtics coach Ime Udoka is considered a leading candidate to replace Nurse if he either decides to move on or is dismissed by the team. Udoka was a finalist for the job before Nurse was hired in 2018, and he has a strong relationship with executive Masai Ujiri through the Basketball Without Borders program.
Nurse could wind up in Houston, where Stephen Silas appears likely to be replaced after three years of rebuilding, Fischer adds. Nurse was the Rockets’ G League coach from 2011-13, but he’s not the only potential candidate with ties to Houston or to James Harden, who will reportedly be an offseason target in free agency.
Fischer notes that Trail Blazers assistant Scott Brooks coached Harden in Oklahoma City, while Pistons assistant Rex Kalamian worked on Brooks’ staff with the Thunder. Fischer states that Kalamian has been mentioned by several NBA sources as a potential addition in Houston, possibly as an assistant.
Elsewhere, Fischer hears that league personnel are watching Steve Clifford’s future with the Hornets. The current leadership isn’t considering replacing Clifford, who’s still on the first season of his new contract, Fischer adds, but that could change if Michael Jordan sells enough of his interest in the team that there’s a new primary governor.
Celtics Notes: Brogdon, Muscala, Gallinari, Injury Report
Malcolm Brogdon knew he was going to be a sixth man when the Celtics traded for him last summer and he may have become the best in the league at that role, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive.
Brogdon, who’s in a battle with the Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley for Sixth Man of the Year honors, is making a late push for the award, delivering a 29-point performance in Wednesday’s win over the Raptors. While Brogdon would welcome the recognition, he considers it secondary to being part of a winning team again.
“I want to win,” he said. “The last two seasons for me were rough, not being able to win. I’m a winner. I feel like I’ve been known as a winner. I want to be known as a winner when I’m done playing in this league, and I want to win at the highest level, and that’s winning a championship. So being in Boston, being a Celtic fits me perfectly.”
Celtics officials view the fit the same way, Terada adds, as Brogdon has become a leader in the locker room in addition to his on-court production. He also provides additional depth that the team lacked last season when it appeared to run out of gas during the NBA Finals.
“The humility that he brings to our team, he takes that pride in the second unit,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “In order to be a great team, you have to have people like that and we have that from top to bottom. Different guys do different things, and Malcolm has come in here with patience, humility and understanding.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Mike Muscala delivered 12 points and six rebounds in 32 minutes on Wednesday while making his third start since Boston acquired him from the Thunder at the trade deadline, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Muscala, who suffered through a shooting slump in March, was 3-for-5 on three-pointers, including a clutch shot in the closing minutes. That’s the kind of production he’ll need to carve out a role in the playoffs. “I think the challenge for me is to keep that mindset regardless of how many minutes you’re playing because those are the players that are harder to guard when you have that mindset,” Muscala said. “No matter if you’re playing five minutes or playing 30, you come in and you’re aggressive and that part should not waver.”
- The Celtics are likely to bring back Danilo Gallinari for another season rather than try to deal him during the summer, Robb states in a mailbag column. Robb believes the team showed its commitment to the veteran forward, who suffered a torn ACL shortly after signing as a free agent, by not moving him at the trade deadline.
- With the second seed wrapped up, Brogdon, Marcus Smart, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White are all listed as questionable for Friday’s rematch with Toronto, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
Celtics Sign Justin Champagnie
APRIL 7: The signing is official, the Celtics announced (via Twitter).
APRIL 3: Free agent small forward Justin Champagnie, currently with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBAGL, is set to sign a deal with the Celtics, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Celtics have both their two-way player slots occupied, but do still possess an opening on their standard 15-man roster. It seems likely they will add Champagnie to their standard roster for the 2022/23 season’s final week and possibly give him a non-guaranteed salary for ’23/24.
After going undrafted out of Pittsburgh in 2021, the 6’6″ swingman inked a two-way deal with the Raptors for the 2021/22 season. The team brought him back aboard for 2022/23, but after he had appeared in just three games for Toronto this season, he was cut in December. He has been with Sioux Falls ever since.
Champagnie holds career NBA averages of 2.2 PPG and 1.9 RPG across 39 pro games, while playing sparingly. In 23 games with the Skyforce this season, the 21-year-old has averaged 18.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.9 SPG, and 0.7 BPG.
Hornets Convert Kobi Simmons’ Contract, Sign Xavier Sneed To Two-Way Deal
The two-way contract that Kobi Simmons signed with the Hornets last week has been converted to a standard deal, the team announced in a press release, adding that Xavier Sneed will fill the newly created two-way opening.
Simmons, a 25-year-old point guard, has appeared in three games so far with Charlotte, averaging 1.7 PPG in 5.7 minutes per night. It marked the first NBA action for the long-time G-Leaguer since he played one game for the Cavaliers during the 2018/19 season.
Simmons received a multi-year contract, according to the press release, but terms weren’t revealed so it’s uncertain whether he has any guaranteed money beyond this season. He has spent the past three years with Charlotte’s G League affiliate and is the club’s career leader in scoring.
Sneed averaged 5.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in three games with Charlotte on a 10-day contract that expired Thursday. The 25-year-old small forward also had brief stays with the Grizzlies and Jazz last season.
David Duke Jr. Gets Standard Contract From Nets
9:25am: The move is official, the Nets announced (via Twitter).
9:06am: The Nets will convert David Duke Jr.‘s two-way contract to a standard deal, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post. An official announcement is expected to be made later today.
The 23-year-old combo guard has appeared in 21 games in his second season with Brooklyn, averaging 3.1 points and 1.0 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per night. He emerged as a star in the G League, Lewis notes, finishing third in this year’s MVP voting.
Duke earned a two-way contract in 2021 after going undrafted out of Providence and got into 22 games last season. He had hoped to get a standard offer after a strong Summer League showing, according to Lewis, but he had to settle for another year on a two-way contract.
The Nets have a roster spot open after Moses Brown‘s second 10-day contract expired on Thursday. Brown played just six total minutes in two appearances with Brooklyn and wouldn’t have been eligible for the playoffs because the Knicks waived him past the March 1 cutoff point.
Zion Williamson Remains Out Indefinitely
APRIL 7: Williamson is considered unlikely to return for the play-in tournament, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
APRIL 6: Pelicans team president David Griffin said on Thursday that injured New Orleans All-Star forward Zion Williamson will remain sidelined as he continues to rehabilitate his hamstring injury, the team has announced (Twitter link).
Given that the Pelicans have just two games left in the 2022/23 regular season, it appears Williamson will likely, though not definitely, be finished at least until the play-in tournament begins.
“After further evaluation, it has been determined that Zion Williamson will continue his rehabilitation and conditioning regimen,” Griffin said. “We will continue to monitor his progression, and updates will be provided as warranted.”
Notably absent from that statement is any kind of timeline estimate for Williamson’s return to action for the 41-39 Pelicans. The 6’6″ forward has struggled with his health for his entire pro career thus far, having appeared in just 114 of a possible 306 regular season contests for New Orleans.
This news puts a damper on the intel from a report earlier this week that appeared to indicate Williamson was pushing for a return before the end of the regular season. That report indicated that Williamson has progressed to “low-intensity” 3-on-3 workouts with coaches but has yet to graduate to 5-on-5 scrimmages. He has been absent since January 2 due to a strained right hamstring.
In the 29 games he did play this year, the 22-year-old produced at a high level, as a bulky, hyper-athletic driving threat who’s proven to be pretty much unstoppable in the paint. Williamson posted averages of 26.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.6 APG and 0.6 BPG.
At present, New Orleans is the eighth seed in a crowded Western Conference, just a game behind the fifth-seed Clippers and sixth-seeded Warriors. Should the Pelicans somehow skirt the play-in tournament and qualify for the playoffs outright, the team would enjoy a week-long break before its postseason would begin, presumably giving Williamson more of an opportunity to rejoin his teammates.
Southwest Notes: Bane, Spurs, Rockets, Ingram
Following a review, the NBA has rescinded a technical foul that attendant referees had previously assessed Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane, the league has announced (Twitter link).
Bane was whistled for the infraction midway through the third quarter of Memphis’ eventual 138-131 overtime loss to the Pelicans Wednesday. He punched the air after he failed to snare an offensive rebound (Twitter video link), hardly tech-worthy behavior.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has revealed that San Antonio intends to play in Austin every year moving forward to help grow its brand, per Tom Orsbron of The San Antonio Express News. “The bottom line is the Spurs organization just wants to expand the territory,” Popovich said. “We live here in this region, all the way from Mexico all the way to up here, and we’d like to spread that experience we’ve had with the Spurs to another area, and to do that we have to make the effort to be seen and to get up here and to play some games. And I think we will do that every year now. I don’t think, I know, and this is the start of it.” San Antonio is playing twice at the Moody Center in Austin this season, against the Trail Blazers today and Timberwolves Saturday.
- The rebuilding Rockets are hoping to improve enough to take the next step in their evolution in 2023/24, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. “We’re definitely on the right track and we’re beating some teams that are trying to make a playoff run,” forward Jae’Sean Tate said. “Our record might not say it, but things around here are definitely different and trending in the right direction.” The team is 20-60 this year.
- Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is evolving as a star and team leader, opines William Guillory of The Athletic. Across his past 10 games, during which New Orleans has gone 8-2, Ingram has been averaging 28.8 PPG, 8.7 APG, 6.3 RPG, and 0.6 SPG.
Bulls Notes: Dosunmu, Stars, White, Play-In History
Second-year Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu is frustrated by his demotion to Chicago’s bench, but is trying to shine in his reserve role this year with the play-in tournament looming, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley notes that Dosunmu had been averaging 30.6 minutes per night as recently as February, while logging 9.3 PPG, 3.3 APG, and 3.3 RPG.. Dosunmu’s output took a nosedive last month, when he averaged just 6.3 PPG, 1.9 APG, and 1.1 RPG in 19.8 MPG.
“Everybody is a competitor and wants to start; that’s just the reality of it,’’ Dosunmu said. “But at this time of the year, it’s all about trying to get as many wins as possible. You really don’t have any time to worry about anything other than that because in about a week, we’re pretty much going into a [play-in] situation where you either win or lose, and your season can be over with.”
“There will definitely be an offseason plan” for his development, Dosunmu added, “but my mindset is focused on these last few [regular-season] games, then doing whatever it takes to secure us a playoff spot.’’
As Cowley notes, there’s a chance Dosunmu will have to wait for his opportunity to start elsewhere. He’s a restricted free agent this summer, as is fellow reserve combo guard Coby White. The Bulls might opt to just keep one.
There’s more out of the Windy City:
- While the Bulls are locked into the play-in tournament, head coach Billy Donovan would still like to see star players DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic participate in the club’s last game of the regular season against the Pistons, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
- Coby White believes that his game has reached another level as of late, writes Rob Schaefer of Bulls.com. “I think this is the best basketball of my career, high school, college,” White said. “I feel like, just overall — defensively, offensively, my voice, leadership, whatever you want to call it — I’ve taken steps in every category.”
- Chicago hopes to make NBA play-in tournament history this season. A tenth seed has yet to win a play-in game in the two-year history of the tournament, Johnson writes in a separate article. “You’d obviously at this point like to be in a situation where you know you’re one of those top-six seeds where you’re not trying to get into the playoffs,” Donovan said. “But having a chance to get in would be the next thing you’d want to have.”