NBA Announces Finalists For Sportsmanship, Teammate Of The Year Awards
The NBA announced the 2023/24 finalists for a pair of awards on Tuesday, naming the six players who are eligible to win the Sportsmanship Award for this season, as well as the 12 players who are in the running for Teammate of the Year honors.
The Sportsmanship Award honors the player who “best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court,” per the NBA. Each of the league’s 30 teams nominated one of its players for the award, then a panel of league executives narrows that group to six finalists (one from each division) and current players voted for the winner.
The trophy for the Sportsmanship Award is named after Joe Dumars, the Hall-of-Fame guard who won the inaugural award back in ’95/96. This season’s finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
- Tyrese Maxey (Sixers)
- Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
- Kevin Love (Heat)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Harrison Barnes (Kings)
- Tre Jones (Spurs)
None of this year’s finalists for the Sportsmanship Award have earned the honor in the past, so the 2023/24 winner will be a first-timer. Mike Conley won the award last year for a record fourth time.
Meanwhile, the NBA also announced its finalists for the Teammate of the Year award for 2023/24. According to the league, the player selected for the honor is “deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.”
The voting process is similar to the Sportsmanship Award — a panel of league executives selects 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, then current players vote on the winner.
Like Conley with the Sportsmanship Award, last season’s Teammate of the Year – Jrue Holiday – has the record for most times winning the award (three), but isn’t among the finalists for 2023/24. Of this season’s 12 finalists, the only one to take home the award in the past is Conley, who claimed it in 2019.
The Teammate of the Year finalists finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
- Mikal Bridges (Nets)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Al Horford (Celtics)
- T.J. McConnell (Pacers)
- Georges Niang (Cavaliers)
- Markelle Fultz (Magic)
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Nuggets)
- Mike Conley (Timberwolves)
- Jalen Williams (Thunder)
- Harrison Barnes (Kings)
- Larry Nance Jr. (Pelicans)
- Dwight Powell (Mavericks)
Knicks Notes: Randle, Anunoby, Robinson, Brunson
The Knicks played another game without Julius Randle and OG Anunoby on Sunday and they may be facing the prospect of heading into the playoffs short-handed, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Josh Hart sounded pessimistic about the possible return of either of his teammates, who have been sidelined for the better part of the last two months.
“I’m looking at it like this is the team we’re going to have,” Hart said. “I think that’s how we have to approach it, that those guys aren’t coming back and obviously we’ll be pleasantly surprised if they come back. I’m not in those medical conversations or anything like that … but we’ve got to approach every game and the end of this season that those guys aren’t coming back, and if they do, be pleasantly surprised.”
Randle hasn’t played since separating his shoulder while taking a charge in a January 27 game. Anunoby had a procedure performed on his right elbow and has only been available for three games since late January. Coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t provide many specifics about either player when reporters asked about their status on Sunday, Bontemps adds. He said Randle is continuing to work his way back, even though he still hasn’t been cleared for contact and his status seemingly hasn’t changed for several weeks.
“Just keep doing what he’s doing, day-to-day,” Thibodeau said. “You never know when it turns. That’s basically the approach we take. Rehab is really your game, so put everything you have into that. And eventually you’ll get there; you can’t get discouraged; just keep working at it. The other guys, they have a job to do.”
There’s more from New York:
- Thibodeau said center Mitchell Robinson “tweaked” his left ankle Friday in San Antonio, which is why he was held out of Sunday’s game, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. Robinson, who has played twice since returning from surgery on the ankle, talked about the difficulty of coming back to the game after such a long layoff. “Timing is off. It’s brutal,” he said. “I think I was playing really well [before the injury]. Then sitting out the four months, it throws your whole timing off. But it is what it is. I’m not going to use that as an excuse. I can be better. I’m a basketball player. I’ve been in this six years.”
- Thibodeau didn’t want to risk a fine by openly questioning a non-call Sunday on a late shot by Jalen Brunson, but he told reporters four times, “Write what you see,” according to Steve Popper of Newsday. The Knicks have been frustrated recently by a lack of calls for Brunson, who scored 30 points in the paint Friday but only went to the line six times. “Yeah, we send clips (to the league office), but it doesn’t seem to be doing any good,” Thibodeau said before Sunday’s game.
- Without Randle and Anunoby, the Knicks need to find someone who can carry the scoring load when Brunson isn’t on the court, observes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. In Friday’s overtime loss, New York was outscored by 24 points in the 9:41 that Brunson rested.
Knicks Notes: Hartenstein, DiVincenzo, Brunson, McBride, Anunoby
It took some time for Isaiah Hartenstein to adjust to the style that coach Tom Thibodeau wants him to play, but the Knicks center now believes he’s in a “perfect situation,” writes James Herbert of CBS Sports.
Hartenstein thrived as a play-maker with the Clippers before signing with New York in the summer of 2022. But Thibodeau had other players to run the offense, and he wanted the big man to focus on protecting the rim, rebounding and setting screens. Hartenstein wasn’t certain the situation would work out, but he’s been more comfortable in his second season with the team, blending his passing skills with Thibodeau’s demands while replacing Mitchell Robinson as the starting center.
“Coming in, it took us some time to adjust,” Hartenstein said. “But I think, unless you’re really the top guy on any team, you’re going to have to adjust to a certain role. You’re not going to be able to do everything you want. So, I mean, if you want to be a winning player, you have to be able to do it. Now I’m in a perfect situation, where I’m allowed to play my game, and it’s been working really well.”
Hartenstein has helped the Knicks weather numerous injuries to their front line and has emerged as a candidate for the All-Defensive team, according to Herbert. He’ll be in line for a huge raise on his $8.2MM salary when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.
“I think I’ve proven that, no matter what big comes in, it’s a matchup,” Hartenstein said. “I don’t think, any big that ever comes in, I’m scared of or anything. I think I’ve established that I’m a starter in the NBA. I can play a big role on a winning team.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Donte DiVincenzo set the franchise record for three-pointers in a season Friday night, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. DiVincenzo hit six shots from long distance in an overtime loss at San Antonio, giving him 245 for the season, which ranks third in the league. “It’s cool, it’s a cool accomplishment. You look at the list of who is on there, it’s special,” DiVincenzo said. “We still have nine games to go. So there’s no real pressure. Just go out there and take the shots I’ve been taking all year.”
- In a separate story, Bondy examines New York’s potential first-round playoff matchups and how the team has fared against Indiana, Cleveland, Orlando, Philadelphia and Miami. Bondy also considers a possible extension this summer for Jalen Brunson, but believes it’s unlikely because Brunson will only make $25MM next season, which limits the extension to $156.5MM over four years. The All-Star guard will be in position for a much bigger payday as a free agent in 2025, becoming eligible for a five-year deal worth approximately $258MM.
- Steve Popper of Newsday looks at how Miles McBride has been able to improve his three-point shooting as his playing time has increased. McBride sank a career-high nine three-pointers Friday night.
- OG Anunoby will miss his seventh straight game Sunday with right elbow “injury management,” tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. Robinson is listed as questionable after spraining his left ankle in his second game back following ankle surgery.
New York Notes: Thomas, Walker, Hartenstein, Brunson
Nets guard Cam Thomas has transformed his game this season, becoming increasingly potent as a scorer, but also adding play-making to his bag of tricks, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
“I’d say I’ve grown as a passer because I’m playing more. If anybody doesn’t really play much, then they get in for a few spurts — I mean, let’s be real — nobody’s looking to pass when they first get in, they’re looking to get some buckets,” Thomas said. “I’d probably say really just me playing more and knowing I have more opportunity to find the guys.”
Thomas, averaging 21.9 points while shooting 44.5% from the floor and 36.2% from three, has more than doubled his assist average from last season. In his past nine games, he’s averaging 4.3 assists while contributing 26.0 points per game. Because of his play, his teammates have been giving him rave reviews.
“It’s been beautiful watching him grow and everybody is reaping the benefits,” Nic Claxton said. “He’s got to keep going and we’re gonna follow him.”
Thomas is heading into the last year of his rookie deal next season, so the Nets will soon face a significant decision on him. As Lewis writes, Brooklyn will need to determine whether to extend him, let the market determine his value when he hits restricted free agency, or see if they can package him in a trade for a star. For what it’s worth, teammate Dennis Schröder believes Thomas is deserving of a big payday. Thomas is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
“That’s a max player right there,” Schröder said, per SNY (Twitter link).
We have more from New York:
- Nets interim head coach Kevin Ollie is also a firm believer in Thomas. According to Lewis, Ollie believes Thomas should be in the conversation for the league’s Most Improved Player award. “He should be in there, definitely, just with his body of work,” Ollie said. “I know he has a lot of guys he’s competing with as well. But with his body of work, his consistency and him being able to score the ball in the capacity that he’s scoring is always great.” Thomas has seen the biggest scoring increase from last season to this one of any player in the league, jumping from 10.6 points to 21.9 points per game.
- Nets guard Lonnie Walker‘s playing time has dipped while playing under Ollie, from 18.1 minutes per game to 15.2. “All the little things: playing defense rebounding, making the right plays,” Ollie said when asked how Walker could earn more minutes, per Lewis (Twitter link). “That’s just how it is. So have him understand that and when your shot’s not falling, doing the other things to make an impact on the game.” Walker is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
- Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein blames the Nets for his fall to the middle of the second round in the 2017 draft, which potentially cost him millions, according to The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “They red-flagged me for my knee. I never had knee problems in my life,” Hartenstein said on the ‘Roommates Show’ podcast with hosts Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart (Apple Podcasts link). “The only thing I had something with [was] my back. I knew that. So I’m like, maybe it’s my back.” Hartenstein said he heard he was projected between the Nos. 15-35 pick but instead fell to 43. Second-round picks are given smaller salaries and fewer guarantees than first-rounders. The Nets used pick No. 22 on Jarrett Allen in that draft. Hartenstein is set for unrestricted free agency this offseason and looks to be due for a payday after capitalizing on his opportunity with New York.
- Brunson came just one point shy of tying Carmelo Anthony‘s single-game franchise scoring record when the Knicks fell to the Spurs in overtime on Friday, The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes. Brunson dropped 61 points, a new career high, while connecting on 25 of his 47 shot attempts. He set the franchise record for field goals made and had the most field-goal attempts in a game since Kobe Bryant shot 50 in his final game. However, Victor Wembanyama‘s 40-point, 20-rebound double-double allowed the Spurs to upset the Knicks despite Brunson’s 61.
- As Bondy writes in a separate story, head coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t thrilled with how the refs called Brunson, who shot just six free throws. “A foul is a foul. That’s what I do know,” Thibodeau said, noting the 32-12 free throw discrepancy in favor of San Antonio. “And what I’m hearing [from the referees], I don’t really like. I don’t know what else you could do, what else you can say. It’s clear as day. It really is that simple.“
Knicks Notes: Robinson, Anunoby, Randle, Brunson, Hart, More
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson appears to be nearing a return from the ankle injury that has sidelined him since early December, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Head coach Tom Thibodeau spoke to reporters before Monday’s victory over Denver and provided a positive update on Robinson’s progress.
“Mitchell is moving quite well,” Thibodeau said. “He’s cleared for contact and all that. He’s going through practices and so just needs a little more time. But he’s doing really well overall.”
Forward OG Anunoby participated in parts of Monday’s shootaround, while Julius Randle (shoulder) continues to do controlled contact work but has yet to be cleared for live contact drills. Given that the reports on Anunoby and Randle were more mixed than the one on Robinson, a reporter asked Thibodeau if the center will be the first of the three players to return.
“Assuming your assumption is correct, yes,” Thibodeau cryptically replied.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Jalen Brunson has now played in 65 games this season, ensuring that he’ll be eligible for end-of-season awards such as All-NBA. As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Brunson can’t qualify for a super-max contract since he signed with the Knicks as a free agent, but he’ll be eligible this July to sign an extension that could be worth up to $156.5MM over four years.
- As effective as Josh Hart has been for the Knicks this season, he has become an unreliable three-point shooter, making only 30.4% of his long-distance attempts this season after hitting 35.0% in his first six NBA seasons. According to Peter Botte of The New York Post, Hart and his former Pelicans teammate JJ Redick have already made plans to work this offseason on Hart’s outside shot. “At some point in the summer I’ll pull up to the Hamptons,” the Knicks wing said on Monday. “Shoot, get in the gym with him. Drink wine with him. He can bring all the wine. Because he’s rich. And just enjoy.”
- Evan Fournier previously shared the Knicks’ franchise record for three-pointers in a game with 10, but saw that record erased on Monday when Donte DiVincenzo knocked down 11 treys against his Pistons. With 234 three-pointers in 2023/24, DiVincenzo is also poised to break Fournier’s record of 241 made threes in a season. “Not at all surprising, to be honest with you,” Fournier told Botte after the game. “He’s definitely found his role, and congrats to him. He has great chemistry with these guys, especially (Brunson), and he’s very smart as far as finding the pocket for a three and he has such a quick release. … He’s having a hell of a season and he deserves (the record). He’s honestly the perfect fit for how they play, and I am happy for him.”
- Struggling guard Alec Burks sat out Monday’s game due to a sprained right shoulder, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. It’s unclear how much Burks’ shoulder injury has factored into his shooting struggles since joining the Knicks. He’s shooting just 32.0% from the field since the trade deadline.
And-Ones: Jones, All-NBA, Bad Contracts, Replays, Stackhouse
Big Sky Player of the Year Dillon Jones is declaring for the 2024 NBA draft and is expected to sign with the Roc Nation agency, according to basketball analyst Jeff Goodman (Twitter link).
The 6’6” Jones averaged 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists for Weber State. He’s a potential first-round pick — Jones is currently listed as No. 32 overall and No. 9 among small forwards on ESPN’s Best Available list.
We have more news from around the basketball world:
- With the new CBA stipulating that players must appear in 65 games to be eligible for postseason awards, there could be numerous newcomers to the All-NBA teams. HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina lists several players who could be first-time All-NBA honorees, including Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards and Zion Williamson.
- Bradley Beal tops Keith Smith’s list at Spotrac of the worst value contracts in the league, opining the Suns wing isn’t worth an average annual value of over $50MM per season, considering his production level and injury issues. Jordan Poole and Zach LaVine also rank high on Smith’s top 10 list.
- Following a contest against the Lakers in which the last two minutes took 20 minutes in real time due to clock malfunctions and replay reviews, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said replays are destroying the rhythm of the game. “I’m not a fan of replay. I think we should have replay just for the buzzer beaters,” he said, per Sportskeeda. “The whole goal with replay is to try to get everything right. There’s 100 plays at each end every night that are subjective. It’s not a game. It’s not tennis. It’s not a Hawk-Eye on whether it’s in or out. There’s all kinds of subjective stuff. We’re never going to get everything right. But I think the flow of the game is way more important.”
- Being a former NBA star isn’t enough to attract top recruits and transfers when it comes to Division I coaching. In recent weeks, Michigan fired Juwan Howard and Vanderbilt parted ways with Jerry Stackhouse. NIL and the transfer portal have completed altered the college landscape, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe notes. “Used to be where you could go, you make all the calls, you go show kids as much interest as you can, do all those type things,” Stackhouse said. “Now you’ve got to reach out to their agents. You know what I’m saying? That’s where it is in order to really get in the door.”
Knicks Notes: Anunoby, McBride, DiVincenzo, Brunson
The Knicks sent OG Anunoby back to New York for another MRI on his surgically repaired right elbow, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. Anunoby, who underwent a procedure on February 8 to have loose bone fragments removed, returned to the lineup last week. He managed to play three games, but often looked uncomfortable and shot just 1-of-8 at Sacramento on Saturday. After he was downgraded to out for Monday’s game against Golden State, the team decided to have him go home for more testing.
“He’s coming back from surgery. We want to make sure that he’s completely healthy,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We knew this was a possibility when you bring a guy back from surgery. If there’s discomfort and stuff and he can’t function the way that we feel he needs to function on the court we’re just going to give him the time that he needs to let it calm down and we’ll go from there.”
The Knicks will wrap up their road trip Thursday at Denver, and Anunoby is expected to miss that game as well. Thibodeau declined to speculate that Anunoby might have returned from surgery before he was fully ready.
“You can’t work backward,” he told reporters. “There were many steps he had to go through. He met all the markers and he was cleared. This is a possibility whenever you come back from surgery, this is what you’re looking at. And so, we feel good about where he is. Just give him the time that he needs.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Miles McBride turned in a career night in leading New York to a win over the Warriors, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. McBride scored 29 points in 46 minutes and served as the primary defender on Stephen Curry for most of his time on the court. “He was huge for us, obviously,” Josh Hart said. “Everyone’s gonna see the box score and see he shot the ball very well and was very efficient, but he did that while guarding Steph, pressuring him, running around with him all game. So he was huge for us and something that we need.”
- Donte DiVincenzo broke out of a shooting slump with 18 points in his first game back in San Francisco after playing for the Warriors last season, Bondy adds. DiVincenzo said he asked for Curry’s advice before signing with the Knicks last summer. “If you played with him, wouldn’t you want to?” DiVincenzo said. “That’s pretty much as simple as it was. I had a relationship with him on and off the court. Obviously, I value his opinion.”
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Jalen Brunson is “high on the list” for a spot on Team USA for the Summer Olympics, Bondy states in a separate story. Brunson is part of a 41-player pool that will have to be trimmed down to 12.
And-Ones: Cousins, LeBron, Redick, Value Contracts, 2025 FAs
Former All-NBA big man DeMarcus Cousins will be returning to the Taiwan Beer Leopards in mid-April, according to Chen Jung-chen and James Lo of Focus Taiwan. Cousins played four games for the Leopards in January.
“Super excited to be back and gearing up for an epic season of playoffs with my teammates and all of you,” Cousins said in a video released on the team’s Facebook page. “Your support means the world, let’s lock it in and go all the way for this championship run.”
While he hasn’t officially announced his retirement from the NBA, the 33-year-old said in an interview last month that he doesn’t really expect to be back in the league. Since playing for the Nuggets in 2021/22, the four-time All-Star has been out of the NBA, competing professionally in Puerto Rico and Taiwan.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Lakers superstar LeBron James and ESPN commentator JJ Redick are starting a new podcast that’s “planned to be a pure conversation about basketball,” reports Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. “It’s meant to be a very free-flowing conversation about the sport and about the game,” former NBA sharpshooter Redick told Marchand. “If you look at it in a very simplistic way, it’s just about basketball.” A teaser of the Mind the Game podcast was released on YouTube, with the first full episode debuting tomorrow.
- With several caveats (no maximum or minimum-salary deals, no rookie scale deals, no second-round exception deals), Keith Smith of Spotrac lists what he believes are the 10 best value contracts in the NBA. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, the East’s reigning Player of the Week, ranks No. 1, followed by Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. at No. 2.
- Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype rank 75 players who could potentially be free agents in 2025, with the top spot going to Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, followed by Knicks star Brunson. Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Scottie Barnes (Raptors) and Lauri Markkanen (Jazz) round out the top five.
Jalen Green, Jalen Brunson Named Players Of The Week
Rockets guard Jalen Green and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced (via Twitter).
Green won for the Western Conference, while Brunson was the East’s winner.
Green helped Houston go 3-0 last week, averaging 26.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists on .492/.458/.769 shooting in 35.8 minutes per contest. It was his first Player of the Week award in 2023/24. The former No. 2 overall pick will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.
Brunson, who earned his third Player of the Week award of the season, averaged 35.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals on .543/.393/.833 shooting in three games last week (33.7 MPG), with New York winning all three contests. The star point guard has been carrying a heavy offensive load with Julius Randle sidelined and appears to have a very good shot at making his first All-NBA appearance after playing in his first All-Star game last month.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Domantas Sabonis and Zion Williamson, while Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, Paolo Banchero, Darius Garland, Tyrese Maxey, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner and Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East.
Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Burks, Brunson, Hartenstein
In his second game back after recovering from elbow surgery, Knicks forward OG Anunoby seemed to aggravate that right elbow issue during the first half of Thursday’s win over Portland, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Anunoby grimaced and appeared irritated by the elbow a few times after that, but remained in the game and downplayed concerns in his post-game media session.
“It’s just sore. Nothing really happened. Just went for a ball. And it hurt randomly, but it’s fine,” Anunoby said, adding that he anticipates playing on Saturday in Sacramento. “… It’s not even pain tolerance. This is just a random thing.”
Head coach Tom Thibodeau also didn’t come off as overly worried about Anunoby’s condition when he spoke to reporters after the game.
“There’s gonna be some times where there’s gonna be soreness. He played through it,” Thibodeau said. “He was fine. (The doctor) looked at him. There’s gonna be times where he gets hit and you just try to keep going. So we’ll see where he is.”
Keeping Anunoby healthy will be a priority down the stretch for the Knicks, who have an incredible +25.2 net rating during his 565 minutes on the court since he was acquired from Toronto in December. The three-and-D stalwart is listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. the Kings, Bondy notes (via Twitter).
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- In a separate story for The New York Post, Bondy spoke to three surgeons about Anunoby’s injury. Those outside experts suggested that lingering pain is normal so soon after the procedure, and while it’s manageable, that pain may take a while to go away if the elbow isn’t rested. “He needs to shoot, he needs to practice, but at the same time, he needs to rest,” Dr. Leon Popovitz, the co-founder of New York Bone & Joint, told Bondy. “But he’s a professional athlete, he needs to get out there. This is probably going to be something he feels the next few weeks.”
- Trade deadline acquisition Alec Burks played a season-low 4:18 on Thursday and didn’t see the floor at all in the second half. That was a basketball decision and not an injury-related one, Bondy writes for The Post. Burks has shot just 31.3% from the field and has more turnovers than assists since rejoining the Knicks, so his spot in the rotation going forward looks tenuous.
- After being on a minutes restriction in his first three games back from a knee contusion, Jalen Brunson had that restriction lifted on Thursday and made the most of it, racking up 45 points in 38 minutes in New York’s win over the Blazers, per Bondy at The Post.
- Isaiah Hartenstein‘s minutes limit remains in place, Bondy notes within the same story. The big man continues to start at center but has averaged a modest 21.2 MPG in his past 10 contests. Thibodeau isn’t 100% sure how long that restriction will last. “He’s feeling a lot better as well, so that’s the positive,” Thibodeau said of Hartenstein. “Obviously, getting OG has added a lot. So now Precious (Achiuwa) goes more to the backup five. And then we still have Jericho (Sims). So we feel good about that.”