Hill, Kidd, Nash, Cheeks Headed To Hall Of Fame
2:24pm: Rod Thorn, who spent years as a coach and executive and worked for the league office, will also be inducted, Wojnarowski tweets.
10:55am: Former Sixers point guard Maurice Cheeks will also be inducted this year, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Cheeks was a four-time All-Star and a five-time selection to the All-Defensive Team. He won an NBA title in 1983.
10:33am: Three NBA greats will be part of the Class of 2018 for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Grant Hill, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash have all received notice that they will be among the inductees, although the formal announcement won’t be made until this weekend.
The third pick in the 1994 draft, Hill shared Rookie of the Year honors with Kidd. He was a seven-time All-Star, a first-team all-NBA selection in 1997 and a second-team choice four other times. He was also part of the gold medal team at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Kidd was a 10-time All-Star who is recognized as one of the top point guards of his era. He was a five-time choice to the all-NBA first team and led the league in assists in five seasons. He won Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2008 and captured an NBA title with the Mavericks in 2011.
Nash is one of a handful of players to be named MVP in consecutive seasons. He was an eight-time All-Star, a five-time all-NBA first-team selection and a five-time assists leader. Nash also has a strong presence in international basketball as a former player and current GM for the Canadian national team.
Central Notes: Kidd, Bullock, Hill, LaVine
Former Bucks coach Jason Kidd doesn’t shy away from the no-nonsense attitude that contributed to his dismissal, writes Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. In a wide-ranging interview, Kidd talks about what went wrong in Milwaukee — and in his first coaching job in Brooklyn — as he copes with his longest time away from the league since being drafted in 1994.
“When people are saying that I’m old-school, it’s not that I’m old-school,” he said. “It’s what it takes to win. And I think we’ve lost a little of that with the younger generation of ‘everybody gets a trophy.'”
Kidd had a 139-152 record with the Bucks, including 23-22 this season when he was fired in January. He defends himself against charges that he demanded too much from the team and was being tuned out in the locker room. There were also complaints that he gave up on players too quickly after pushing the front office to acquire them, with Michael Carter-Williams cited as an example. Kidd also claims the new ownership in Milwaukee expected too much from a young team.
“The master plan got erased once we won 41 games [in the 2014/15 season],” he said. “Because the expectations were, ‘This is what we can do every year.’ But no one’s ever been in this situation but one person, and that’s the head coach. And the head coach is saying, ‘We still have a ways to go.’ But no one is listening.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons are being rewarded for their patience with Reggie Bullock, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News. Bullock saw limited playing time during his first two seasons in Detroit, but has moved into the starting lineup this year and is averaging nearly 13 points per game in that role. “A player with my story probably would have been out of the league or trying to find his way back in the league,” Bullock said. “But I landed in the right position. It was God’s plan for me to be able to watch and learn, and now I’ve got an opportunity to play and to just keep moving forward.”
- George Hill is giving the Cavaliers stability at point guard for the first time since trading Kyrie Irving, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. After Cleveland went through numerous candidates in the first half of the season, Hill has solidified the position since being acquired from the Kings in a deadline-day deal.
- Bulls guard Zach LaVine says he’s not stressed about free agency and he trusts his representatives and team management to work out a fair contract, relays K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Both sides have expressed confidence that a deal will get done as the fourth-year guard heads toward restricted free agency. “The agency and front office, they’re both trying to get the better of each [other],” LaVine said. “but I think this situation is a little bit different because there’s mutual respect on both sides and understanding. There’s no bad blood between us, so I think everything will go smoothly.”
Nash, Kidd, Allen Headline 13 Hall Of Fame Finalists
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced 13 finalists to be considered for election to the Hall of Fame in 2018. The list includes six first-time finalists, including likely first-ballot hall-of-famers Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, and Steve Nash, as well as Grant Hill, three-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Smith and four-time WNBA Champion Tina Thompson.
Among the seven other finalists are four-time NBA All-Star Maurice Cheeks, two-time NBA Champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, and five-time NBA All-Star Chris Webber. Rounding out the list are long-time Maryland coach Charles “Lefty” Driesell, 28-year NBA referee Hugh Evans, two-time NCAA National Championship Coach of Baylor Kim Mulkey, and 10-time AAU National Champions Wayland Baptist University.
The Class of 2018 will be announced on Saturday, March 31 at a press conference in San Antonio prior to the NCAA Men’s Final Four. Let’s now take a look at some more information on the six former NBA stars up for election as players.
- Steve Nash – Played in the NBA for 19 seasons, earning MVP honors in both 2005 and 2006. An eight-time All-Star and an All-NBA First Team member in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Nash also holds the NBA record for highest career free throw percentage (.904) and had four seasons with a shooting line of .500/.400/.900, the most in NBA history.
- Jason Kidd – During his 18-year NBA career, he earned All-NBA First Team honors five times and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team four times. He is a 10-time NBA All-Star while also ranking second on the NBA all-time steals list (2,684) and all-time assists list (12,091).
- Ray Allen – A two-time NBA Champion, Allen was selected to the All-Star game 10 times during his 18-year career. He is still the all-time NBA leader in three-point field goals made (2,973) and is ranked sixth on the all-time free throw percentage list (.894).
- Grant Hill – A 19-year NBA veteran, a seven-time NBA All-Star, and a member of the All-NBA First Team in 1997, Hill was also a member of two NCAA national championship teams (1991, 1992) at Duke and a gold medal recipient at the 1996 Olympic Games.
- Chris Webber –Webber is a five-time NBA All-Star and the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year. He earned All-NBA First Team honors in 2001 and averaged more than 20 points per game for nine consecutive seasons from the mid-90’s to the early 00’s.
- Maurice Cheeks – A four-time NBA All-Star (1983, 1986-1988) and four-time NBA All-Defensive team selection, Cheeks was also a member of the 1983 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers.
Bucks Rumors: Parker, Kidd, Giannis, Trades
The Bucks made headlines last week by parting ways with head coach Jason Kidd, and another major event for the franchise is right around the corner, as Jabari Parker is set to return on Friday from last year’s ACL injury. With Parker poised to get back on the court, ESPN’s Zach Lowe takes a look at the situation in Milwaukee, sharing a couple interesting tidbits on the 22-year-old’s contract situation.
According to Lowe, the Bucks and Parker discussed an extension last offseason that would have been worth $54MM over three years. The former No. 2 overall pick wasn’t willing to accept that offer, so the two sides discussed other possible deals, including shorter- and longer-term scenarios. However, Milwaukee’s per-year limit was always right around $18MM, says Lowe.
Parker – who views himself as a max player, per Lowe – will now have at least a couple months to prove that he’s worth a massive investment, though it remains to be seen how high the Bucks will be prepared to go this summer when Parker reaches restricted free agency.
Here’s more from Lowe on the Bucks:
- Providing a few more details on Kidd’s ouster, Lowe says that the former Bucks head coach had a “sometimes strained” relationship with the team’s medical staff, and that some players wanted more communication and support from Kidd.
- Although there were reports indicating that Giannis Antetokounmpo was “devastated” as a result of Kidd’s firing, the move isn’t expected to result in a lingering rift between the club and its star player, writes Lowe.
- Prior to acquiring Eric Bledsoe from the Suns, the Bucks discussed a similar deal with the Hawks for Dennis Schroder, league sources tell Lowe.
- The Bucks continue to be active in trade discussions, but talks with the Clippers for DeAndre Jordan haven’t gotten anywhere near serious, according to Lowe. The ESPN scribe suggests that Derrick Favors might be a decent fit for Milwaukee, but isn’t sure whether the team has the right assets to appeal to the Jazz.
Central Notes: Pacers, Bucks, Hill
The Pacers find themselves firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff conversation after a busy offseason but don’t expect the organization to start mortgaging its long-term future for short-term success.
The Fox Sports Indiana crew interviewed Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan on Saturday night about the team’s mindset as the February 8 trade deadline approaches.
“We’ve had such a great chemistry, you’re reluctant to disrupt that,” Buchanan said. “You also want to do what’s right for the [Pacers] long term. We’re in no hurry to change up anything with this team.”
Of course Buchanan is well aware of where the Pacers stack up against the rest of the league. For that reason, the club is looking only for something sustainable that they can build around for the next three, four (five, six, seven) years.
Buchanan did note that one aspect the Pacers are always looking to shore up is shooting. “The way the league is going right now, shooting is a premium,” he said. “The more shooting you can put around a playmaker like Victor. Those guys need space.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- A unique characteristic of the Bucks franchise is that their three-pronged ownership group all make big franchise decisions together. David Aldridge of TNT recently wrote about that aspect of the organization, noting that there was a consensus about firing Jason Kidd.
- The Cavaliers supposedly wanted the option of buying out Kings guard George Hill after this season, which is one reason the two teams couldn’t complete a trade, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports (via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports). Currently Hill’s $19MM for 2018/19 is fully guaranteed. Only $1MM of Hill’s $18MM in 2019/20 is guaranteed, however.
- The Bulls didn’t expect Kris Dunn back in the lineup when they played Portland on Wednesday but they did expect him to travel with the team. That is no longer the case, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes.
Update On Jason Kidd’s Dismissal From Bucks
The Bucks made a surprising move on Monday, firing head coach Jason Kidd despite the team being the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Milwaukee sported a disappointing 23-22 record at the time of Kidd’s firing, good enough for postseason contention but below expectations.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks’ young superstar, appears to have made every effort to help Kidd keep his job. The 2017/18 All-Star reportedly phoned his former coach before the firing and said he would contact ownership or his own agent to change the team’s decision. In his first public comments, Antetokounmpo praised Kidd but expressed disappointment that their private conversation became public, per ESPN.
Antetokounmpo, 23, said he understands that he cannot control what moves the Bucks make in terms of coaching and roster construction. He also said he understands all decisions are made with the intention of improving the team.
“That’s in the hands of the front office,” Antetokounmpo said. “Whatever they think or they can do to make this team better and make this team a championship-level team — it can happen. If it’s me being traded or the coach being fired or whatever move they think is the right move to make this a championship-level team, I think is the right move for it to happen.”
After a rough finish to last season, Kidd’s future with the Bucks was reportedly on thin ice. Mark Feldmann of The Journal Times writes that Kidd had strained relationships with several players — including some issues with Antetokounmpo — and lost the support of ownership. A far cry from 2014 when Kidd left the big market Nets to take the helm of a small market team searching for an identity.
Kidd’s future as a coach is currently a mystery. On Thursday, Kidd made his first public comments since he was fired as he proclaimed Milwaukee’s future is bright.
“I would like to thank Milwaukee Bucks fans, ownership, staff and most of all the players for the last four years,” he tweeted. “It has been an honor and a pleasure to be your head coach. The future is bright for Milwaukee.”
Joe Prunty, an assistant on Kidd’s staff, was named the interim coach. Numerous candidates have been linked to the Bucks’ coaching gig, but it is possible Prunty is hired full-time after the season.
Bucks Notes: Parker, Walker, Williams
Scrapping for their spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Bucks know they need to rally around one another in the wake of the franchise’s recent coaching change, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes.
Velasquez writes that young players like Thon Maker, who haven’t gone through a coaching change before, have been seeking advice from veterans who have. Considering that Jason Kidd was at the helm in Milwaukee for three and a half seasons there are a number of players like Maker for whom Kidd was the only, or at least the longest-tenured, coach they had had.
“I think for the most part the message was, ‘It’s on us,’ ” Bucks veteran Jason Terry said of a team meeting after the news was announced. “Once they make the decision — which was a tough one — that they did, they put the onus on the players. We understand it’s going to take us as a group collectively.”
There’s more out of Milwaukee:
- Sidelined forward Jabari Parker rejected the notion that there was tension between he and Jason Kidd, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. “He was my coach for four years and it’s always been a good relationship,” Parker said. “Any coach in a head position, we’re going to have disagreements, but most importantly he helped me.”
- The Bucks were among the teams that contacted the Hornets about Kemba Walker prior to Michael Jordan saying that he’s not looking to deal the point guard unless he gets a marquee player in return, Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets.
- Among the frontrunners to land the full-time head coaching gig in Milwaukee is Monty Williams, Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports writes. The well-respected former Pelicans coach is currently part of the Spurs’ front office and could be available to take over right away.
- The G League affiliate of the Bucks has obtained the rights to both Gary Neal and Ricky Ledo, the team announced. Ledo is a former second-round pick of Milwaukee’s while Neal suited up for the big league club in 2013/14.
Latest On Kidd, Bucks’ Coaching Job
Former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale is considered the early favorite to get the Bucks job after this season but there are some other viable candidates, according to Hoops Hype’s Bryan Kalbrosky.
Milwaukee fired Jason Kidd on Monday and replaced him on an interim basis with lead assistant Joe Prunty. Fizdale was fired in late November, in part because of a strained relationship with the team’s star, Marc Gasol.
Former Pelicans coach Monty Williams, Raptors G-League coach Jerry Stackhouse, Hawks assistant Darvin Ham, Thunder assistant Adrian Griffin, Clippers assistant Sam Cassell and Spurs assistants Ettore Messina and Ime Udoka are some of the other candidates that Milwaukee may consider, Kalbrosky adds.
Here are some nuggets regarding Kidd and the Bucks job:
- Bucks franchise player Giannis Antetokounmpo offered to help Kidd save his job, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne tweets. Kidd and the All-Star starter spoke 15 minutes before Kidd was officially notified he’d been fired, Shelburne adds.
- Milwaukee’s front office had been mulling over a coaching change for at least two weeks, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports.
- Williams, who has been working in the Spurs’ front office, has been patiently waiting for another opportunity and is a name to remember, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets.
- Kidd leaves with no regrets and added “we took an organization that was in a bad place and shined a light on it,” according to another Shelburne tweet.
- Tensions between Kidd and the front office had been building for months, according to the Washington Post’s Tim Bontemps. There was friction between Kidd and forward Jabari Parker, Bontemps continues. Kidd also rubbed management the wrong way by lobbying for roster changes and harping on the lack on experience among the front office staff, Bontemps adds.
- Jeff Van Gundy and Rick Pitino are two other candidates the Bucks might consider, Forbes’ Mitch Lawrence reports. However, the organization does not have a stellar reputation and potential replacements for Kidd will likely want to know who’s calling the shots on personnel, Lawrence adds.
Bucks Fire Jason Kidd
3:32pm: The Bucks have issued a press release confirming that they’ve officially relieved Kidd of his head coaching duties.
“We appreciate everything that Jason has done for the Bucks organization, but we have decided to make a coaching change,” Horst said in a statement. “We believe that a fresh approach and a change in leadership are needed to continue elevating our talented team towards the next level, bringing us closer to our goal of competing for championships.”
3:03pm: The Bucks have parted ways with head coach Jason Kidd, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, assistant Joe Prunty will take over for Kidd as the interim coach in Milwaukee, beginning with tonight’s game against the Suns.
Unlike Earl Watson (Suns) and David Fizdale (Grizzlies), who were the first two coaching casualties of the 2017/18 NBA season, Kidd wasn’t at the helm of a lottery-bound team — the Bucks currently hold the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. Still, Milwaukee only has a one-game cushion on ninth-seeded Detroit, and would be out of the playoff picture for the time being if not for the Pistons’ five-game losing streak.
Given the expectations for the Bucks coming into the season – not to mention the in-season trade for Eric Bledsoe – team leadership was disappointed with the team’s mediocre 23-22 record so far, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Woj adds that “frayed relationships” within the organization and “general non-alignment” also contributed to Kidd’s dismissal.
After coaching the Nets to a 44-38 record in 2013/14, Kidd made the move to Milwaukee, where he has coached the Bucks for the last three and a half years. During that time, he compiled a 139-152 record, leading the Bucks to a pair of playoff appearances — the team was ousted in the first round in both 2015 and 2017.
During that 2017 first-round loss to the Raptors, the young Bucks took a 2-1 lead and flashed tantalizing promise, prompting many NBA observers to forecast bigger and better things from the team this season. Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s MVP-level play so far though, the Bucks have been up and down overall, particularly on the defensive end — as TNT’s David Aldridge tweets, Milwaukee is currently tied for 24th in the NBA in defensive rating.
Antetokounmpo’s presence will make the Bucks’ head coaching job one of the most sought-after NBA roles this summer, though it will be interesting to see how the Greek Freak reacts to today’s news. ESPN’s Chris Haynes tweets that Antetokounmpo is “devastated” by Kidd’s firing, with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne adding (via Twitter) that Giannis is close with Kidd and trusts him. Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times doesn’t contradict those accounts, but offers a different perspective, tweeting that Kidd “didn’t endear himself to many players, including some of the important ones.”
While Kidd reportedly had a lot of influence with Bucks ownership earlier in his tenure, that influence eroded significantly over the last year, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Milwaukee’s ownership group is made up of three co-owners who often have differing opinions, so their levels of support for Kidd may have varied. Still, the club’s decision to promote Jon Horst to general manager in the offseason might have been a signal that Kidd’s influence was waning — Kidd was believed to have supported Justin Zanik, who was passed over for the GM job and ultimately left the organization.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Central Notes: Mirotic, Jordan, Parker
Not only does the return of Nikola Mirotic give the struggling Bulls an extra offensive weapon, he provides a calm confidence that the young team can benefit from. Nick Friedell of ESPN writes that Mirotic has set the bar high upon his return, taking particular pleasure in the fact that the 5-20 team is 2-0 since he returned to the court.
Friedell adds that Mirotic has been playing particularly well alongside frontcourt teammate Bobby Portis. Together the pair who’s training camp skirmish made national headlines is rocking a 115.6 offensive rating with a 103.8 defensive rating. The pairing alone has yielded 59 of the Bulls’ 223 points over the last two games and they’ve only been on the floor together for 24 minutes.
The Bulls may be in the midst of a rebuild, not particularly committed to any specific player, but Mirotic has shown plenty of potential when asked to take on a large offensive role. From March 22 on last season, Mirotic averaged 17.0 points and 7.2 rebounds in just under 30 minutes per game.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The fact that DeAndre Jordan hired an agent with a close connection to Jason Kidd could give the Bucks an advantage in any trade negotiations with the Clippers, Ken Berger of Bleacher Report writes. Agent Jeff Schwartz represented Kidd for much of his playing career.
- A big three on Saturday night could help Jae Crowder bust out of his shooting slump, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. The Cavaliers forward has struggled from long-range, particularly in the fourth quarter, and has ceded some minutes to reserve Jeff Green. “Y’all know I’ve been struggling. It feels good to finally see one go down, especially late in the game,” Crowder said. “I’ve made quite a few of those in my career, but I haven’t made them like I wanted to here. I just want to build off this win.”
- If Jabari Parker‘s future with the Bucks is uncertain given his health, contract status and the emergence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, one team that could be in play to acquire him is the Jazz. Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News details Parker’s connection to the The Church of Latterday Saints which has famously strong roots in Utah. Parker, it’s worth noting, had BYU in his top five potential colleges coming out of high school.