Atlantic Notes: Kemba, Tatum, Nets, Knicks
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge doesn’t expect Kemba Walker to require offseason surgery to address his left knee issues, but said today that the point guard was “definitely not himself” during the playoffs, tweets Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. According to Ainge, the club will construct a plan for Walker going forward to try to avoid having that happen again.
“In fairness to Kemba, he doesn’t want to say (that he wasn’t himself). He doesn’t say that to our coaches. He doesn’t say that to you, the media. He doesn’t say that to me. I haven’t heard one excuse from him,” Ainge said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “But watching the games, even the games we won, even the games where he played well, I could tell he wasn’t the same physically as he was in October, November, December. So we’re going to try to get that Kemba back.”
While Walker still made some big plays for the Celtics en route to the team’s appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, his postseason numbers reflect that he wasn’t at his best. He made just 31.0% of his three-point attempts in 17 playoff contests after knocking down 38.1% during the season.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Ainge didn’t sound worried about being able to lock up Celtics forward Jayson Tatum to a long-term contract extension sooner rather than later. “Jayson knows how much we like him,” Ainge said, according to Bontemps. “We have a good relationship. Jayson likes it here, so I’m confident that we’ll be able to work something out this summer — this offseason, I should say.”
- Appearing on Kevin Durant‘s podcast this week, Nets teammates Durant and Kyrie Irving denied playing a role in Kenny Atkinson‘s dismissal and made some unusual comments about the club’s new head coaching situation. Brian Lewis of The New York Post has the details.
- Alex Schiffer and William Guillory of The Athletic explore whether a Jrue Holiday trade between the Pelicans and Nets might make sense, as well as what such a deal would look like. The two Athletic writers conclude that it’s probably not a great match.
- Marc Berman of The New York Post takes a closer look at Tyrese Haliburton as a possible Knicks draft target, while Kira Lewis‘ trainer Cory Underwood talks to Ian Begley of SNY.tv about the Alabama guard’s potential fit with the Knicks.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Draft, Brown, Offseason
The Celtics entered the Eastern Conference Finals as slight favorites to beat Miami, but for the third time in four years, Boston couldn’t get over the hump and advance to the NBA Finals after becoming one of the last two teams standing in the East.
As Bobby Marks details in an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, the next steps for the Celtics this offseason will be to lock up Jayson Tatum to a maximum-salary rookie extension and to determine how best to upgrade the roster around Tatum and their other core pieces.
According to Marks, determining what to do with their three first-round picks this year also represents a key decision for the Celtics. A year ago, the team used three picks in the top 33 and got mixed results from the trio of Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, and Carsen Edwards. With three of the top 30 selections in the 2020 draft, Boston will have to decide whether to draft three players again, attempt to trade up, or look to turn one or two of those picks into future assets.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Asked after Sunday’s loss about the possibility of a rookie scale extension, Tatum deflected the question, indicating that he hasn’t seriously considered the idea yet. “I was just focused on this season,” Tatum said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “The front office and my agent gotta talk about it. But I’m not thinking about that right now. We just lost a series. Just thinking about the guys in the locker room and the games. That’s what I’m thinking about. Stuff like that, going to happen, if it happens, (is) not really my concern.”
- Once his extension goes into effect in 2020/21, Jaylen Brown‘s first-year cap hit will be $23.73MM, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). That figure includes a $22.99MM base salary and $744K in likely incentives. Brown can earn further incentives in future seasons on that deal if he achieves certain individual accolades.
- Despite the disappointing end to their playoff run, the 2019/20 season should only serve to fortify the Celtics’ direction going forward, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who says the club still has a very promising future.
Atlantic Notes: CP3, Nash, Stevens, Hayward
After the Sixers were swept out of the first round of the 2020 playoffs, the team fired longtime head coach Brett Brown, who had survived several front office shakeups. But the on-court personnel could use some changes, too. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer makes the case for a Chris Paul trade.
Paul, an All-Star in 2020 during his first season with the Thunder, is scheduled to earn $41.3M and $44.2M in the final two years of his current contract. With the Sixers, the 35-year-old point guard could give All-Star guard/forward Ben Simmons more off-ball opportunities and serve as a first-rate facilitator for All-Star center Joel Embiid.
Pompey posits that current Sixers forward Tobias Harris or center Al Horford could be packaged (presumably along with future draft equity) into a deal for Paul.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- New Nets head coach Steve Nash acknowledges that he was brought on board with the franchise because of his interpersonal relationships and culture-building skills, rather than his knowledge of X’s and O’s. “I think they understand that my acumen for the game is strong and I can catch up on any of the tactical aspects,” Nash told Pelicans guard J.J. Redick in a recent edition of Redick’s The Old Man and the Three podcast (per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News). “I think they hired me because of my experience, the personality to work with these guys and help them grow and reach their potential and bring it all together.”
- Following an emotional postgame locker room conversation, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens held a late-evening hotel meeting with four of his frustrated stars, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart met with Stevens to unpack their feelings following a Game 2 loss to the Heat that puts Boston in an 0-2 hole for the Eastern Conference Finals.
- Celtics forward Gordon Hayward is hoping to return to action for Game 3 on Saturday, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link). Hayward’s addition to the active roster would give Boston much-needed lineup flexibility and shooting help.
NBA Announces 2019/20 All-NBA Teams
The NBA has officially announced its All-NBA teams for the 2019/20 season. Voting was completed prior to the league’s restart in July and was based on results through March 11.
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lakers forward LeBron James, widely considered the two frontrunners for this year’s MVP award, were the only two players to be unanimously voted to the All-NBA First Team this season. Rockets guard James Harden, Lakers big man Anthony Davis, and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic rounded out the First Team.
The full All-NBA teams are listed below, with their vote totals in parentheses. Players received five points for a First Team vote, three points for a Second Team vote, and one point for a Third Team vote, so Giannis and LeBron scored a perfect 500 — First Team nods from all 100 voters.
All-NBA First Team
- Guard: James Harden, Rockets (474)
- Guard: Luka Doncic, Mavericks (416)
- Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (500)
- Forward: LeBron James, Lakers (500)
- Center: Anthony Davis, Lakers (455)
All-NBA Second Team
- Guard: Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers (284)
- Guard: Chris Paul, Thunder (199)
- Forward: Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (371)
- Forward: Pascal Siakam, Raptors (168)
- Center: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (311)
All-NBA Third Team
- Guard: Ben Simmons, Sixers (61)
- Guard: Russell Westbrook, Rockets (56)
- Forward: Jayson Tatum, Celtics (153)
- Forward: Jimmy Butler, Heat (147)
- Center: Rudy Gobert, Jazz (110)
Among the players who just missed the cut were Bucks forward Khris Middleton (82 points), Sixers center Joel Embiid (79), Wizards guard Bradley Beal (32), and Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (26). A total of 11 other players also received at least one All-NBA vote — the full results can be found right here.
Today’s announcement is great news from a financial perspective for Siakam and Simmons. As a result of Siakam’s Second Team nod and Simmons’ Third Team spot, both players will earn starting salaries worth 28% of the 2020/21 salary cap, rather than 25%. Players who sign rookie scale extensions can earn maximum salaries up to 30% of the cap if they negotiate Rose Rule language into their deals.
The exact value of those new contracts will depend on where exactly the ’20/21 cap lands. Assuming it stays the same as in 2019/20 ($109.141MM), Siakam’s four-year extension would be worth $136.9MM instead of the $122.2MM it’d be worth if it started at 25% of the cap. Simmons’ five-year pact would be worth $177.2MM rather than $158.3MM.
While it’s also worth noting that All-NBA berths are of great importance to players seeking super-max contracts, there aren’t any real developments to report on that front as a result of this year’s votes. Antetokounmpo and Gobert remain eligible for super-max extensions, but they’d already qualified based on their previous accolades.
Embiid would have become super-max eligible in 2021 if he had earned an All-NBA spot, but he’ll need to make an All-NBA team next season to gain eligibility now, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.
Hoops Rumors readers accurately picked 12 of this season’s 15 All-NBA players in our spring poll. Beal, Embiid, and Devin Booker were your picks who didn’t make the official list. Of the 12 who made it, 11 made the exact team you projected, with Paul (who made Second Team instead of Third Team) representing the only exception.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Dinwiddie, Nash, Raptors, Tatum, Sixers
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie is confident that Steve Nash will succeed as the new head coach of the franchise, he told Shlomo Sprung of Forbes.com.
Dinwiddie discussed a variety of subjects in the interview, including Nash, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and more. Brooklyn announced the hiring of Nash last week with no prior media coverage of the possibility, surprising observers around the league.
“It was definitely out of left field,” Dinwiddie said. “I think overall, it makes sense from the relationship perspective.”
Nash shares a close relationship with Durant, having worked for the Warriors as a player development consultant during his run with the team. Brooklyn consulted Durant, Irving and others before hiring Nash, a decision that received positive reviews from those in the franchise.
“Obviously white privilege is a thing, 1000%,” Dinwiddie said. “But in this situation, he’s only one of the most qualified basketball players of all time and is friends with the stars of our team and the GM of the team [former teammate Sean Marks]. It kind of makes sense beyond the fact that he doesn’t have coaching experience.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division tonight:
- Blake Murphy of The Athletic examines six takeaways from the Raptors‘ seven-game series loss to the Celtics. Toronto was 0.5 seconds away from going down 3-0 before OG Anunoby‘s buzzer-beating shot in Game 3, climbing back to force the hard-fought series to seven games. The Raptors have several key players set to reach free agency this offseason, including Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol.
- Celtics forward Jayson Tatum passed his latest test to superstardom in leading the team over Toronto, Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes. Tatum has steadily improved on both ends since entering the league, recording 29 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in the team’s Game 7 victory. “He’s a superstar. He showed it tonight,” teammate Kemba Walker said after that game. “Anyone have any question or doubt on that? He showed it.”
- Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue remains the best option for the Sixers as they search for a new head coach, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. Lue and the Sixers both share a mutual interest for the position, according to Pompey, which was vacated when the team fired Brett Brown after a disappointing 2019/20 season.
Atlantic Notes: Nash, Sixers, Lue, Raptors, Tatum
Having poached Kevin Durant from Golden State a year ago, the Nets have now hired away Steve Nash – a former Warriors player development consultant – to be their new head coach.
However, Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers respects Nets GM Sean Marks professionally and personally and sees no reason to treat Brooklyn “like some kind of pillager,” writes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Myers also understands why the Nets would target someone like Nash to coach Durant and Kyrie Irving.
“Steve Nash has the ability to walk out onto the court and earn the immediate respect of Kevin Durant or Steph Curry or Klay Thompson — and there aren’t too many people in the world who can do that,” Myers told Wojnarowski. “More than that, though, he can communicate with them effectively and efficiently.
“… There’s not a lot of teaching left for the most accomplished players in the world. Steph is not going to listen to many people about his jump shot. Steve might be one of the only people in the world outside of Dell (Curry) that he’d give an audience on that conversation.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- After the Nets hired Nash and Villanova’s Jay Wright withdrew from consideration for the Sixers‘ head coaching job, Philadelphia appears likely to aggressively pursue Tyronn Lue for their head coaching position, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (via Twitter). Mannix reiterates that there’s strong mutual interest between Lue and the 76ers, as we’ve heard before.
- The Raptors had a better regular season record this year than they did in 2018/19, but without Kawhi Leonard to bail them out on offense, they’ll need scorers to step up in order to make another deep playoff run, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
- Celtics forward Jayson Tatum tells Shams Charania of The Athletic that he remains close with former teammate Kyrie Irving. “Ky is like my big brother,” Tatum said. “We still talk to this day, and we’ve talked a few times this playoffs. He always encourages me to be special. Having that relationship with him and having somebody like him in my ear at a young age, it means a lot.”
Celtics Notes: Hayward, Bench, Tatum, Brown
It has been two weeks since the Celtics announced Gordon Hayward would be sidelined for approximately four weeks due to a sprained ankle, and head coach Brad Stevens said on Monday that the forward’s rehab is “going OK” so far, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“He feels a little bit better,” Stevens said of Hayward. “Still has a pretty significant amount of … I don’t think his gait is perfect yet. Once his gait feels right and becomes perfect, he’s probably on a quicker course to coming back. I think he’ll rejoin us in the bubble at some point soon, but he still will be some time away when he does do that.”
The second-round series between the Celtics and Raptors is expected to conclude no later than September 11, so if Hayward is still at least a couple weeks away, he won’t suit up at all against Toronto. However, if the C’s can advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, a Hayward return could be in play.
As Bontemps notes, Hayward had previously indicated that he’d leave the NBA’s campus in September to be with his wife for the birth of their fourth child. It’s unclear if that’s still his plan, or when exactly that would happen. For now, he continues to focus on getting healthy.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- So far in Orlando, the Celtics haven’t just survived without Hayward — they’ve thrived, Bontemps writes in a separate ESPN.com story, exploring how Marcus Smart and the team’s bench players have stepped up in the starting forward’s absence. If the Celtics continue to be successful without Hayward in the lineup, it may fuel further speculation about the 30-year-old’s future in Boston — he’ll likely exercise a $34.2MM player option for 2020/21 before becoming a free agent next year.
- As in 2018, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge didn’t upgrade the team’s bench at this season’s trade deadline. Sean Deveney of Forbes.com argues that Boston’s lack of bench depth was costly during the playoffs two years ago, but says the hope is that history won’t repeat itself this year.
- For years, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were viewed by many league observers as possible centerpieces in trades for superstars. Now, they look like the players the Celtics will build around for years to come, writes Chris Mannix of SI.com. Mannix examines how that happened, the relationship between Tatum and Brown, and how – as Tatum puts it – they “feed off each other” on the court.
Celtics Notes: Walker, Tatum, Williams
Four months after the season was suspended, Celtics guard Kemba Walker is still dealing with a left knee issue that hampered him right up until play stopped. The veteran guard admitted that frustration with the injury is mounting, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes.
“It’s definitely pretty frustrating, just because I’m not a guy who misses many games, especially throughout the course of my career,” Walker said. “I’m not really concerned much, honestly, because I’m trending upwards and I’m getting better and I’m getting closer to a return. So, yeah, I’m fine. And I’ll be back better than ever, I think.”
As we relayed last week, Boston head coach Brad Stevens said the team would take it slowly with Walker as teams resumed practice at the NBA campus in Orlando. Despite being limited by the injury, the 30-year-old feels he can help Boston capture a championship once play resumes and knee troubles are behind him.
“I think we can be pretty tough, for sure,” Walker said. “Since (Jayson Tatum)’s been killing it the way he’s been, I haven’t really been able to help out like I really wanted to, so yeah, I’m definitely looking forward to coming back and making an impact on my teammates and just being readier than I was before the season ended.”
Walker has averaged 21.2 PPG, 4.9 APG and 3.4 RPG for Boston in 50 games this season.
Check out more Celtics notes below:
- Tatum was in the midst of his best season to date before the league shuttered play and the Boston guard is not short on confidence, NBC Sports Boston’s Justin Leger writes. “I know what I’m capable of, what I think I’m capable of, what I’m striving for,” Tatum said. “That’s the edge that I have for myself. I step on the floor, I think I’m the best player every night.” In 59 games this season, Tatum averaged 23.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 2.9 APG for the Celtics.
- While Grant Williams made a solid impression in Boston during his rookie season, spotty outside shooting was the one detrimental aspect to his game. However, as practices have resumed, Williams has impressed with his apparent improved stroke from beyond the arc, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston writes.
- For all the latest Celtics updates, be sure to follow our C’s team page.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Tatum, Nets, Thomas, Knicks, Kidd
Sixers center Joel Embiid and guard Shake Milton are among those who have expressed some reservations about the NBA’s restart plan, though both players will participate this summer, writes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. Embiid’s concerns stem from a suspicion that not all of his fellow players will follow the restrictions and protocols put in place by the league.
“There’s some guys that like to go out, there’s some guys that like to do stuff, there’s some guys that like adventure,” Embiid said. “I know myself. I know I’m not gonna put everybody else at risk. But the question is, is everybody else gonna do the same? Just being around this business, I surely don’t think so.”
Milton, meanwhile, was less concerned about the health and safety guidelines in place than about his belief that the resumption of the NBA might draw attention away from the ongoing fight for social justice reforms.
“I don’t really think we should be playing,” Milton said, per Bodner. “I feel like… there’s an issue going on right now in the world that is way bigger than the sport, way bigger than the game of basketball, and I feel like we’re on the cusp of finally having people tune in and really try to listen and try to understand more about the things that are happening in our country. I feel like the moment is too big right now, and I don’t want the game of basketball to overshadow it.”
Despite their apprehensions, both Embiid and Milton stressed they’re committed to helping the 76ers compete for a championship in Orlando this summer.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Celtics forward Jayson Tatum isn’t overly enthusiastic about restarting the season at the Walt Disney World campus and only recently finalized his decision to play, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “There’s a multitude of reasons why I wasn’t comfortable,” Tatum said. “… (I’m) still not excited about it, not thrilled. Obviously, what we’re fighting for (in society), against racism and social injustice and (for) equality. Obviously the virus is still very well and alive and continues to rise in Florida. For me, just being away from my son for two or three months, that’s what’s really bothering me. … Especially when they’re that young — their growth, they change every week. Just knowing I’m going to miss out on that.”
- Veteran forward Lance Thomas, who was with the Nets last fall, is among the veteran free agents receiving interest from the team, league sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Brooklyn is eligible to sign three substitute players to replace DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Taurean Prince, who all contracted COVID-19. The club is also said to be eyeing Amir Johnson.
- Marc Berman of The New York Post explores Jason Kidd‘s candidacy for the Knicks‘ head coaching vacancy, noting that some insiders believe he’s the best “long-shot threat” to presumed frontrunner Tom Thibodeau. However, opinions on Kidd are mixed. “I wouldn’t hire Jason Kidd if he was the last coach standing,” one NBA source (who has worked with Kidd) told Berman. “It would be a terrible choice. There’s a reason Milwaukee is in the place where they are right now — coaching.”
Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Kanter, Knicks, Embiid
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is not thinking of sitting out the remainder of season due to concerns over a contract extension, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston reports. According to another report earlier this week, Tatum had expressed some reluctance about playing this summer because of an elevated risk of injury, which could potentially impact his ability to reach a max rookie scale extension this offseason. Tatum does have some concerns about contracting the novel coronavirus in the Orlando bubble and the league’s plans on addressing the issue, according to Blakely, but it’s not worrisome enough for the 22-year-old to sit out.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- While some NBA players believe that playing again this season might take the focus away from social justice reforms, Celtics center Enes Kanter believes it would be far more effective to get the point across while playing. He made those comments on The Enes Kanter Show podcast (hat tip to Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston). “The whole world is going to be focusing on you, right? You can make a huge difference,” he said. “All the microphones will be on your face, so you can get your message out. Whatever you want to talk about, ‘Black Lives Matter,’ freedom, justice, democracy. Whatever you want to talk about, the whole world will be listening to you.”
- The Knicks’ head coaching search will begin in earnest next week with introductory interviews scheduled with candidates, SNY’s Ian Begley tweets. Those initial conversations will be brief and take place over video conference. They will be followed by longer, more formal interviews, likely also via video conference, Begley adds. Thus far, nine candidates have been identified as probable interviewees.
- Joel Embiid‘s contract is now fully guaranteed, but there was very little chance it wouldn’t have happened anyway, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic explains. Embiid’s salaries for the next three years were previously conditionally guaranteed, but the NBA’s recent agreement to prorate bonus clauses and performance incentives this season impacted his max contract. Even if the Sixers had wanted in the future to recoup some of the non-guaranteed money in Embiid’s contract, he not only needed to miss time with ailments related to prior injuries, but the team would have had to waive him. In that scenario, the Sixers would have still been on the hook cap-wise for the guaranteed portion of his salary.