Sixers Notes: Embiid, Workout, Carlesimo, Brown
Don’t expect to see Sixers center Joel Embiid in this year’s summer league, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Moore said a source called Embiid’s participation “unlikely,” even though new GM Bryan Colangelo mentioned it as a possibility late last month. Embiid underwent bone graft surgery on his right foot last August, and the source said summer league action isn’t “practical” at this point. The Sixers don’t want to take any chance that Embiid might suffer a setback before next season begins. Embiid expects to begin playing two-on-two games this week and is optimistic that he will be ready for opening night.
There’s more out of Philadelphia:
- The Sixers are holding a predraft workout today with St. Joseph’s Isaiah Miles, Baylor’s Taurean Prince, Wichita State’s Fred VanVleet, Columbia’s Maodo Lo, San Diego State’s Winston Shepard and Clemson’s Jaron Blossomgame, Moore writes in the same story.
- If top assistant Mike D’Antoni lands the head coaching job in Houston, P.J. Carlesimo would be a potential choice to replace him on the Sixers’ bench, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The 66-year-old last coached with the Nets in 2013.
- Sixers coach Brett Brown says the team isn’t leaning toward Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram or anyone else as the No. 1 pick in the draft, tweets Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com. “This is a massive decision,” Brown said. “It comes with a lot of responsibility. It will receive the time that is required.”
- Brown’s connections with Simmons’ family date back to 1988 when he was an assistant coach with the Melbourne Tigers, writes Henry Abbott of ESPN.com. “Each of the teams in Australia were allowed to have two American imports,” Brown said Thursday on ESPN’s TrueHoop podcast. “And one of the American imports we had was a player named David Simmons, from Harlem, New York — who is Ben Simmons’ father. The cheerleader — you can’t make this stuff up — the cheerleader that was the head cheerleader of that team ended up marrying David Simmons, our import, who I coached for five years with Lindsay Gaze, and had Ben Simmons, their son.”
- Colangelo is looking forward to another shot at the No. 1 pick after taking Andrea Bargnani first overall in 2006, relays Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star. “There’s no comparison of the draft classes [of 2006 and 2016],” said Colangelo, who was GM of the Raptors at the time. “Going into that [2006] draft, there was no consensus No. 1 pick. I think this year, if you poll league-wide, there are two consensus No. 1 picks.”
Pacific Notes: Rondo, Teletovic, Workouts
While the Kings would like to have Rajon Rondo return next season, the team is prepared to move on from the point guard rather quickly if the bidding for his services escalates, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes. The scribe doesn’t cite a specific dollar figure that would be the cut off point for Sacramento, but does note that it is lower than many might think. Rondo earned $9.5MM this season and is likely to command more than that in unrestricted free agency this summer given the amount of teams in need of help at the point guard position, though that is merely my speculation. The 30-year-old made 72 appearances in 2015/16, averaging 11.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 11.7 assists in 35.2 minutes per outing.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers may not have a choice in the matter, given that the Sixers select ahead of them in this June’s draft, but team officials prefer LSU forward Ben Simmons over Duke’s Brandon Ingram, Chad Ford of ESPN. com tweets. Ingram is a better fit for the team, but many in the front office are enamored with Simmons’ star potential, Ford adds.
- The Suns held a workout on Wednesday for Nikola Jovanovic (USC), Codi Miller-McIntyre (Wake Forest), Adam Smith (Georgia Tech) and Caleb Swanigan (Purdue), the team announced.
- Working out for the Kings today will be Josh Hagins (Arkansas Little Rock), Gabe York (Arizona), Brannen Greene (Kansas), Max Hooper (Oakland), Mike Bryson (UC Santa Barbara) and Jordan Loveridge (Utah), the team relayed.
- Mirza Teletovic is expected to be in high demand this summer as an unrestricted free agent, but the power forward said that the hiring of Earl Watson as head coach significantly increases the chances that he will re-sign with the Suns, Matt Petersen of NBA.com relays.
- The Lakers may entertain dealing away the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, but doing so may compromise the team’s current plan build around its young core, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. The scribe adds that Los Angeles will have ample opportunities to add veterans via free agency instead, given its ample cap flexibility this summer.
And-Ones: USA Basketball, Richardson, Murray
Paring the USA Basketball roster from 20 to 12 players will be difficult and controversial, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes. Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Anthony Davis will sit out the Rio Olympics because of injuries but managing director Jerry Colangelo has added young players like Damian Lillard, Andre Drummond, DeMarcus Cousins, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving to the mix, complicating the selection process. Colangelo told Washburn and other members of the media that players will be selected based on position need as well as their performance in recent NBA seasons.
In other news around the league:
- Syracuse freshman forward Malachi Richardson saw his stock rise higher than any other player during the draft combine, ESPN Insider Chad Ford reports. Richardson is one of the few wings in this draft with the size, speed and skills to get his own shot, according to Ford. He also has potential as a long-range shooter and that’s why his draft stock has elevated to the 12-20 range, Ford continues. On the other end of the spectrum, California forward Jaylen Brown made have damaged his chances of going in the top 10 with poor interviews, Ford adds.
- There’s still very little separation between LSU forward Ben Simmons and Duke small forward Brandon Ingram regarding the No. 1 overall pick, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets. Some teams are leaning toward Simmons, while others favor Ingram heading into the lottery, Howard-Cooper adds.
- Kentucky point guard Jamal Murray interviewed with the Timberwolves during the draft combine, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets. Murray is currently rated No. 6 by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and No. 3 on Ford’s Big Board.
- Iowa State power forward Georges Niang interviewed with the Nets, according to NetsDaily.com (Twitter link). Niang is considered a late second-round prospect.
Draft Combine Update: Friday Morning
Skal Labissiere‘s impressive private workout on Wednesday didn’t quite measure up to the hype, contends Chad Ford of ESPN.com in an Insider-only piece, who pegs the draft range for the Kentucky big man as No. 9 to No. 20. The Suns and Kings are among the teams Labissiere has interviewed with at the combine, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, echoing previous reports about interviews with Philadelphia and New Orleans. Ford’s sources remain solidly in the camp of Ben Simmons over Brandon Ingram for the top overall pick, while it appears it’s a battle between Jamal Murray and Kris Dunn for the No. 3 pick, Ford hears. Still, no one had a more impressive combine showing Thursday than Cheick Diallo, a high second-round prospect, according to Ford. Both his strengths and weaknesses were on display, as Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of DraftExpress detail. The Kansas center/forward says he’ll probably remain in the draft, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv details, adding the Warriors, Mavericks, Nets, Sixers, Knicks and Raptors to the list of teams he’s interviewing with at the combine.
See more updates as the combine continues:
- The Lakers interviewed Ingram, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- The Bulls, Hawks, Kings, Spurs and Rockets are among the teams interviewing Cal swingman Jaylen Brown, as he told reporters and as Basketball Insiders relays in a video. Also on the list are Boston and Minnesota, as we passed along earlier.
- UNLV shooting guard Patrick McCaw listed the Raptors, Bucks, Hornets, Cavaliers and Heat, as well as a previously reported meeting with Boston, among his interviews, as Basketball Insiders relays in another video.
- Wisconsin power forward Nigel Hayes will work out for the Suns, Celtics and Knicks, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link). Ford heard some negativity surrounding his performance Thursday.
- The Pelicans, Knicks, Mavericks, Hornets and Lakers are the previously unreported teams on the interview list for Maryland point guard Melo Trimble, as J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic relays. Ford heard from NBA types down on Trimble’s showing Thursday.
- Former Iona combo guard A.J. English met with the Pelicans and will do so with the Wizards and Nets, Zagoria tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- The Spurs, Warriors, Nuggets and Grizzlies are the previously unreported teams interviewing Seton Hall shooting guard Isaiah Whitehead, Zagoria relays (Twitter link). He’ll work out for the Sixers on Monday, the Pacers on Wednesday, the Celtics on May 20th and the Bulls on May 23rd, a source tells Zach Braziller of the New York Post (Twitter links). Boston, Indiana and Chicago are particularly interested in him, Braziller hears.
And-Ones: Maxiell, Sixers, Simmons
Much of the Sixers‘ offseason strategy depends on where the team’s picks end up after the draft lottery is held next month, but the franchise believes it has the opportunity to land a steal near the bottom of the first round, writes Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly. “We’ve got multiple options with what to do with those picks, and I do think though there will be some opportunity to find a player,” GM Bryan Colangelo said. “That’s what you have an extensive scouting staff for, that’s what the numbers and analytics team can sometimes derive, perhaps a diamond in the rough. You look for the player that’s going to be a sleeper at that number and you think about what that player might be a couple years down the road.”
Regarding free agency, Colangelo believes the availability of playing time, coupled with the team’s new practice facility, will be selling points to prospective targets, Camerato notes. “You have to differentiate yourself somehow, someway,” Colangelo said. “Some people could be looking for an opportunity to go somewhere and be a key player as opposed to being a complementary player. We’ve got that opportunity because we’ve got an open slate right now in that regard.”
Here’s more from around the NBA:
- Former NBA player Jason Maxiell has inked a one month deal to play in Saudi Arabia, international journalist David Pick relays (via Twitter). The 33-year-old power forward last played in the NBA during the 2014/15 campaign when he appeared in 61 games for the Hornets and averaged 3.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per outing.
- LSU freshman Ben Simmons remains atop the latest mock draft from Chad Ford of ESPN.com, though the scribe does note that the combo forward’s grip on the No. 1 overall spot is being eroded by the rise of Duke’s Brandon Ingram, who is slotted second. Simmons could reclaim a firm hold on being the consensus top pick if he impresses teams during his predraft workouts and interviews, Ford writes.
Prospect Profile: Ben Simmons (Part Two)
PROJECTED DRAFT RANGE: Chad Ford of ESPN.com has Simmons ranked as the best prospect, while Jonathan Givony of Draft Express has him behind only Brandon Ingram. Givony has concerns about Simmons playing up to his full potential and believes the 19-year-old has the instincts and anticipation skills to be a terrific defender, but questions his effort on that end of the floor. Overall, Simmons’ approach to the game appears to be the reason he isn’t the DraftExpress choice for the No. 1 overall pick.
RISE/FALL: Simmons isn’t falling below No. 2 barring a serious injury between now and the June 23rd draft. It wasn’t until the end of the season, during a horrendous SEC tournament appearance, that chatter started to pick up about him not being the top selection. Ingram is the only challenger for the top spot and it may come down to who wins the lottery to determine the top overall selection. Make no mistake, the Rich Paul client is still likely to go No. 1.
FIT: The Sixers have the highest chance at landing the No.1 overall pick, as our Reverse Standings indicate. Philly has a 26.7% chance at the top spot, with a quarter of the pingpong balls for being the worst team, plus an additional 1.7% chance at the selection, since the team can swap picks with the Kings and would do so should Sacramento win the lottery. Picking Ingram instead of Simmons makes sense for the Sixers based on the team’s glut of big men. Having Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric all on the roster crowds the paint, but the Sixers could very well trade multiple members of the big man boy band they have assembled sometime this summer.
The Lakers have the second-best odds of landing the top pick, and they have no such roadblocks to playing time. Los Angeles would give Simmons a great situation to grow as a player. He and D’Angelo Russell attended the same high school, where they led their team to a national championship. The duo reportedly have spoken about playing together for the Lakers, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report.
The Pelicans would be a fascinating fit for Simmons. They only have a 13.3% chance at a top-two selection, but they likely have the best frontcourt partner to offer Simmons in Anthony Davis.
The Kings would likely be the worst fit due to their ever-changing front office and recent history of inadequate player development. Sacramento won’t take home the No. 1 selection, as a result of its trade with Philadelphia, but it could get the No. 2 pick in one of two ways: the Sixers winning the lottery and the Kings landing No. 2 (0.5% chance of this occurring) or the Kings winning the lottery with the Sixers landing No. 2 and subsequently swapping picks (0.37%). In either of theses unlikely scenarios, it would take Philly selecting Ingram for Sacramento to land Simmons.
Every team could use a talent like Simmons and he would change the fortunes of any franchise. Ultimately, it will come down to the May 19th draft lottery to determine where he ends up.
FINAL TAKE: Pessimists may say the glass is half full and those people may look at Simmons as a nonshooting big man who doesn’t try hard enough. In reality, Simmons has enough in his glass to warrant being the top selection, and with the right coaching and tutelage, he could make any franchise’s cup runneth over.
(For Part One of Ben Simmons’ Prospect Profile, click here.)
Prospect Profile: Ben Simmons (Part One)
OVERVIEW: Ben Simmons was the No. 1 player in his high school class and he had his choice among any of the top collegiate programs in the nation. He chose to attend LSU, in part because David Patrick, Simmons’ godfather, was an associate coach for the school. As an Australian native, he had an opportunity to present an argument to the league claiming he should be eligible for the 2015 draft, akin to Thon Maker’s situation. Simmons was quick to shoot down talk about any sort of request, reiterating his dedication to the university. Even chatter about Adam Silver changing the one-and-done rule and altering it to a required two years for college players didn’t faze Simmons. “Then I’d stay two years [at LSU],” Simmons said prior to his senior high school season.
One disastrous regular season at the university proved to be enough. LSU finished the 2015/16 campaign with a record of 19-14, and the team was poised to miss the NCAA tournament. They were a lock to make the NIT, and Simmons had a chance to be one of the highest-profile players to ever play in it, but before the NCAA committee announced its selections, the school declined to participate in postseason play. Individually, Simmons dazzled as a Tiger, averaging 19.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals per game. He is just one of five players over 6’9″ to average more than five assists per 40 minutes, according Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Still, he was not able to elevate the team to the level of a national title contender like he and many LSU fans had hoped.
STRENGTHS: Simmons is a special prospect. The awe in watching this sensational athlete comes from his natural ability on the hardwood. He runs the break masterfully, and his court vision and passing ability have drawn comparisons to LeBron James and Magic Johnson. He handles the ball extremely well for his size. You can envision him running a half-court offense, driving meticulously to the basket while drawing an additional defender near him just as he makes the crosscourt pass to an open teammate in the corner. This could be a regularity for the team that drafts him. He makes the right passes and plays a very Spursian-style game. He has excellent footwork and owns a few nice post moves. He creates contact and gets to the line often, as his 9.0 free-throw attempts per game authenticate. He’ll need to bulk up at the NBA level, but a 6’10”, nearly 240-pound frame puts him in a great position to contribute immediately. His 6’11” wingspan, coupled with his quickness and agility, will allow him to become a lock-down defender, one who can easily switch positions on pick-and-rolls, a task more and more teams are expecting their players to execute. Simmons gives you versatility on both end of the floor; he’s a true point forward. This isn’t DeMarcus Cousins bringing the ball up the court and stumbling into a set. That’s cute, but Simmons could be a big man who consistently makes plays at lighting speed on his way up the floor while evoking real fear in the transition defenders. Add in that he would be drawing an opposing big away from the basket and his value approaches tangibility.
WEAKNESSES: Outside shooting is an issue with Simmons. This was a concern heading into his freshman year, and he didn’t do much to prove the naysayers wrong in this area. Partway through the year, he essentially just stopped shooting from the outside. He attempted a total of three shots from behind the arc and it got to the point where defenders would play several feet off him and he still wouldn’t fire away. Another concern is his motor. At times, his demeanor appeared laissez-faire, lacking the passion that team leaders typically exhibit. He also played a very passive style for stretches. He wasn’t Rajon Rondo-esque selfishly unselfish, but it would have been beneficial for the way he’s perceived if he would have taken over games with his scoring more frequently.
(For Part Two of our Ben Simmons Prospect Profile, click here).
Draft Rumors: Zizic, Baldwin, Greene, Wizards
- Forwards Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram are the top two picks in ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s latest mock draft. Ford projects that the Sixers, who have the best odds of gaining the No. 1 selection, will grab Simmons because of the higher upside he has compared to Ingram, with the Lakers then taking the Duke freshman. Point guard Jamal Murray (Celtics) and power forwards Dragan Bender (Suns) and Henry Ellenson (Timberwolves) round out Ford’s top five.
- Vanderbilt point guard Wade Baldwin has signed with Priority Sports, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. Baldwin was linked earlier this month to Priority Sports as his potential representative, according to a tweet from Pick. The 6’3” Baldwin is currently ranked No. 16 by Givony, while Ford pegs him at No. 23.
- Kansas swingman Brannen Greene has signed with Sam Goldfeder of Excel, Goodman reports in a separate tweet. Greene barely cracks the Top 100 list by Givony at No. 99, while Ford doesn’t list him on his Big Board.
- UNLV’s Derrick Jones is officially staying in the draft and has signed with Aaron Turner, Goodman reported in another tweet. The 6’6” small forward is not ranked in the Top 100 by either Givony or Ford.
- The Wizards do not plan to trade into the draft despite the strong possibility they will lose their first-rounder, writes Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. Washington sent a top-nine protected pick to the Suns in the deadline deal for power forward Markieff Morris. Unless the Wizards get a top-three selection via the lottery, they’ll lose the pick. Team president Ernie Grunfeld told Castillo and other media members he’s not keen on making a draft-related deal. “We look at Markieff as being our draft pick, and I don’t think we’ll get a player where we’d be drafting that can do the kind of things that he can do, and be under contract for three years like that, and still be young but proven,” Grunfeld said.
Lakers Notes: World Peace, Bryant, Scott, Draft
He has only appeared in 31 games this season, but 36-year-old Metta World Peace believes his NBA career is far from over, according to Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. World Peace, who earned a roster spot with the Lakers last fall after a year out of the league, hopes to play another two to four more seasons. Although he spent parts of last season in China and Italy, he doesn’t want to take his talents overseas again. “I think I can still play in the league,” World Peace said. “I feel good. I feel like I was able to guard and able to post. I feel like I answered a lot of questions.” He is making nearly $1.5MM this season and is averaging 4.5 points and 16.6 minutes per game.
There’s more Lakers news this morning:
- After two decades as part of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, Kobe Bryant will face Boston for the final time today, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Bryant says the loss to the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals changed the way he approaches the game. “In 2008 what I learned was that my leadership, I felt, was what failed us as a team,” Bryant recalled. “I had built our team to be a very strong, cohesive unit, but I hadn’t built our team to beat the toughness of the Celtics.”
- The Lakers would like to revive that rivalry, but they understand they have a lot of work to do first, relays Jovan Buha of ESPN.com. L.A. is still early in its rebuilding process, stumbling to a 16-59 record while developing young players. The Celtics are much farther along, ranking among the East’s best teams at 44-32. “We have a lot of work, as far as that’s concerned,” said Lakers coach Byron Scott. “But I think a lot of these young guys, they don’t understand the rivalry. And the only way you can get that rivalry back is you have to have both teams be very competitive.”
- The Lakers need a top two draft pick to be assured of getting an elite talent, contends Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times. Pincus tabs LSU’s Ben Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram as the only sure things in this year’s draft. L.A is second in Hoops Rumors’ reverse standings, meaning its odds are 19.9% for the first pick, 18.8% for the second and 17.1% for the third. If the Lakers’ pick falls any farther in the May 17th lottery, it will be sent to Philadelphia.
Draft Notes: New Rules, Jackson, Bryant
The NBA’s new rule that allows prospects to gauge their draft stock until May 25th, which is the new the deadline for players to pull out of the draft if they want to remain eligible for college ball, could end up hurting college seniors, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report writes. The tremendous influx of players who will be attending the scouting combine could put a pinch on the number of seniors invited who are considered borderline prospects, Wasserman notes. The scribe points to T.J. McConnell, whose performance during last year’s combine earned him a spot on the Sixers, as a prime example of the type of player who could be adversely affected by the new rules.
“I think [the rule change is] great for the undergrads, probably unfortunate for seniors who won’t make the combine but don’t accept Portsmouth invites thinking they would get to the combine,” an NBA scout told Wasserman. “I wish Portsmouth was later now.” An NBA executive echoed the sentiment, telling Wasserman, “Seniors don’t get the same opportunity [this year]. Plus, we like upside of young players, as seniors are pretty much who they are. Seniors are always pushed to the back because of the ‘potential’ aspect.”
Here’s more regarding the 2016 NBA Draft:
- The Sixers may give strong consideration to selecting Notre Dame junior point guard Demetrius Jackson with one of their first round picks this year if Jackson declares for the draft, Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer opines. Jackson, who is currently ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, fits Philly’s clear need for a playmaker who can provide scoring with his outside shooting, Sielski adds. The junior is averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season for the Fighting Irish.
- Indiana freshman Thomas Bryant is undecided on entering the 2016 NBA Draft, as he told Jeff Rabjohns of Rivals.com (Twitter link). It may be wise for the big man to return to school for his sophomore campaign as a number of scouts believe he still needs to mature physically prior to turning pro, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv writes. “Late first-round at best right now,” one NBA executive told Zagoria regarding Bryant. “Young, not physically ready.” Bryant averaged 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds for the campaign.
- Despite some speculation that Duke’s Brandon Ingram could overtake him, LSU freshman Ben Simmons is still the current consensus No. 1 overall pick among NBA scouts, Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times relays. “Whoever thinks he [Simmons] isn’t the best player in this draft is crazy,’’ one scout told Woelfel. “The only thing you can question about him is his shooting. But there have been some great players who weren’t good shooters coming into the draft and became good shooters. He’s a great player, period.’’