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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/26/17

March 26th, 2017 at 3:50pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Check out Sunday’s D-League assignment and recalls:

  • The Pistons have recalled Henry Ellenson from their D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, Rod Beard of The Detroit News tweets. Beard notes that the rookie will be available for Detroit’s matchup with the Knicks on Monday.
  • The Cavaliers have assigned Larry Sanders to the Canton Charge, per Sam Amico of Amico Hoops (Twitter link). Sanders has only seen two minutes of action for Cleveland this season.
  • The Spurs have assigned Davis Bertans and Bryn Forbes to the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website. Bertans has appeared in three games for San Antonio’s D-League affiliate, while Forbes has seen action in 18 contests.
  • The Mavericks have recalled Manny Harris and Jarrod Uthoff from the Texas Legends, Earl K. Sneed of Fox Sports tweets. Both players will see their respective 10-day contracts with Dallas expire at the end of the day on Tuesday.
  • The Rockets have recalled Chinanu Onuaku, Isaiah Taylor and Troy Williams from their D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, per the team’s Twitter feed.
  • The Grizzlies have recall Wade Baldwin and Deyonta Davis from the Iowa Energy, according to the team’s website. Baldwin has played in 33 D-League games this season, while Davis has seen action in 11 contests.
  • The Pelicans recalled Cheick Diallo from Greensboro, the team announced through a press release. Diallo, who has averaged 22.3 points over his last three D-League games, will be available for tonight’s match-up with Denver.
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Hoops Links: LeBron, Tucker, Lakers, Kings

March 26th, 2017 at 2:21pm CST by ChrisCrouse

On Sundays, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown:

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Weekly Mailbag: 3/20/17 – 3/26/17

March 26th, 2017 at 12:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com. Here are this week’s inquiries:

The upcoming offseason will be a summer of rumors and speculation in Boston. What do you guys feel they may do within the current confines of the rumor mill? Do they wait for Gordon Hayward to become a free agent and attempt a trade for Jimmy Butler (after the draft) or see how the offseason plays out and see how the land lies in Indiana and trade for Paul George? — Christopher Hawkins

The Celtics will be in a uniquely favorable position once the offseason arrives. They have a top draft pick, assets to trade for a star and about $30MM in cap room. They pursued Butler and George before the trade deadline and still have interest in both. Boston may try to play the Pacers and Bulls against each other to see who will make the best offer, and those offers could be significant if the Celtics wind up with the first or second pick in the May 16th lottery. If neither deal works out, they will draft Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball and make a serious run at Hayward. No matter what happens, Boston, which may be the East’s number one seed this year, should be much improved next season.

What free agents do you foresee actually being interested and fitting in the triangle offense Phil Jackson is shoving down the NYK roster? It seems like every player that has played for NYK since PJax had no affinity for the system. With no track record of it working in modern-day NBA, does this mean NYK will be terrible until we have a new president? — Anthony Williams

It’s hard to picture the triangle being a selling point for any current free agent. Jackson hasn’t coached in the NBA since 2010/11, and nearly everyone from that team is out of the league. If anything, the triangle and its negative reputation among today’s players will make free agents look elsewhere. If the Knicks hope to lure a quality free agent, they will have to use other bargaining chips, like the chance to play in New York, to be part of a young team with Kristaps Porzingis and this year’s pick or to play with Carmelo Anthony, if he’s still around.

With Becky Hammon getting an offer from University of Florida to coach their women, do you think that is the best offer she’ll ever get, or do you think someone will take a chance with her and give her a head coaching position in the NBA down the road, especially since she’s on the staff that half of the coaches originally were on? — Michael Thompson

The best way for an assistant to get an NBA coaching job is to remain in the NBA. The question for Hammon is whether she wants to stay with the pros and try to make history or jump at the chance to run her own team in college. With her background, she could be an excellent women’s coach at Florida, but that probably won’t get her any closer to being an NBA head coach. If Hammon stays put, she’s first in line to become the NBA’s first female head coach, but there’s no guarantee that will ever happen.

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Okafor Uncertain For The Rest Of The Season

March 26th, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Arthur Hill

A balky right knee may mean Sixers center Jahlil Okafor won’t play again this season, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Okafor will miss his second straight game today with soreness in the knee, and the team isn’t sure when he might be able to return. He said the Sixers are being “super cautious” about letting him back on the court.
“If we were like on the verge of trying to get a playoff spot or something like that, I could go out there and play,” Okafor said Friday. “But coach [Brett] Brown and all of our people behind the scenes don’t believe it’s necessary for me to play if my knee is feeling sore and stuff like that. It’s pretty much how they’ve been since I’ve been a Sixer.”
Brown said he will continue to determine Okafor’s status based on reports from team doctors.
Soreness has been a problem for Okafor since a surgical procedure March 22, 2016, to fix a torn meniscus in the knee. The pain flared up in a game last Sunday, and he wasn’t used after halftime. He played Wednesday against Oklahoma City, but was hit in the knee and was held out of Friday’s game.
Okafor appeared in just 53 games last year before surgery. He is at 50 this season and his averages in scoring, rebounding and minutes played have all dropped sharply from a year ago.

One option for Philadelphia is to shut down Okafor for the rest of the season. At 27-45, the Sixers are far out of the playoff race and are tied for sixth in our latest Reverse Standings.

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Cavaliers Notes: Thompson, Sanders, J.R. Smith

March 26th, 2017 at 10:24am CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Tyronn Lue is concerned about Tristan Thompson‘s playing time, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, but the Cavaliers have few other options at center. Thompson is playing 30 minutes per night, his highest total in three years, and Lue is concerned that he might get worn down by playoff time. “We just have to try to figure out ways to get him off the floor like last night, getting his minutes down,” Lue said Saturday. “Then getting him off the floor tonight trying to do the same thing. He’s the only center we have. He has to play right now.” The Cavs thought they solved that problem when they signed Andrew Bogut last month, but a broken leg in his first game took him out of the equation.

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

  • Free agent center Larry Sanders, who was signed as a replacement for Bogut, appears far away from being ready to help, Fedor notes in the same piece. Sanders has seen most of his action in the D-League since joining the Cavs March 13th. He has played just two minutes in two games at the NBA level. “Well, we have to try to get him in some better shape. Right now his timing and shape is not good,” Lue said. “That’s why he’s been in the D-League playing and trying to get ready. The guys in the D-League say he’s been great. He’s just trying to work and trying to get to that point.”
  • Lue said J.R. Smith is going through “training camp” after missing a major part of the season with a fractured right thumb, Fedor relays in a separate piece. Smith, who has shot just 31% from the field in the 10 games since his return, was moved back into the starting lineup Wednesday. “It’s like preseason for him,” Lue said. “Just trying to get these games under his belt to get his rhythm, get his timing, get his legs defensively and lock into what we’re doing. When you miss training camp early in the season and then you get hurt early in the season it’s been tough on him. He’s got to work his way through it and I know he will.”
  • Starting Smith has weakened the team’s defense, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic (subscription site). When Iman Shumpert or DeAndre Liggins started, they defended opposing point guards. Since the change, that task has fallen to Kyrie Irving, and the Cavs surrendered a combined 65 points to Kemba Walker and John Wall in back-to-back games.
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Knicks Notes: Hernangomez, Noah, Anthony, Draft

March 26th, 2017 at 9:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Willy Hernangomez is making a strong case to be the Knicks’ starting center next season, regardless of Joakim Noah‘s suspension, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Hernangomez had another impressive game Saturday with a career-best 24 points and 13 rebounds in a loss to the Spurs. He has been the primary starter since February 4th, when Noah was sidelined by a hamstring injury. The rookie center is signed through the 2019/20 season.

Coach Jeff Hornacek isn’t ready to commit to a starting center for next season, but he admits Hernangomez will be in the mix. “It’s probably too early,’’ Hornacek said. “We still look at [Kristaps Porzingis] at the five sometimes, and Willy at the 4. And the way the league is going, we’re going to find one of those two guys if we play these teams that have a 6-7 4-man. One of those two guys is going to have to guard him.’’

There’s more this morning out of New York:

  • Noah could start serving his 20-game suspension as early as Tuesday if he is medically cleared to return to practice, Berman adds in the same story. That would knock eight games off the suspension for this year and leave him out of action for the first 12 games of next season. Noah had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in late February.
  • Carmelo Anthony was held out for his second straight game with a minor knee issue, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The Knicks played six rookies Saturday as they dropped to 27-46 and are now tied with the Magic for fourth place in our latest Reverse Standings.
  • Even though the Knicks need backcourt help in the draft, they could take a long look at Kansas forward Josh Jackson, according to Neil Best of Newsday. Jackson is considered a top five pick, and Jayhawks coach Bill Self believes he has the versatility to succeed as a pro. “In the NBA they talk about skill sets,” Self said. “Does he have an NBA skill? I think Josh has multiple NBA skills. He’s a guard that can obviously play much bigger than that. You could almost play him at four spots offensively, and he’s big enough and quick enough that he could almost guard four sports defensively.” With Kansas being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament Saturday, Jackson is expected to declare for the draft soon.
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And-Ones: Embiid, Noel, Monk, Hayward

March 25th, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers expect Joel Embiid, who underwent surgery on his left knee on Friday, to resume basketball activities this summer, Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sportsnet relays.

“Joel, his representatives and our medical staff conducted extensive research based on prioritizing the best possible treatment and recovery outcome for Joel’s knee injury resulting in today’s procedure by Dr. ElAttrache,” president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo said. “We are very pleased with his post-surgical assessment and forecast for a healthy return to basketball activity.”

This was Embiid’s third surgery of his young career. He underwent two separate procedures on his foot, which forced him to miss his first two seasons in the league. He was only able to play 31 games this season before the Sixers shut him down for the year with the knee ailment.

Here’s more from around the league.

  • Coach Rick Carlisle believes Nerlens Noel deserves to be a starter in the league, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News passes along. “That’s why we traded for him,” Carlisle said. He added that the Mavericks will eventually work with Noel on expanding his range, though “it’s not a big priority for now.”
  • Steve Serby of the New York Post examines Kentucky’s backcourt and believes both Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox would be good fits for the Knicks. Both players are expected to be top-10 picks and New York currently owns the No. 5 spot in our Reverse Standings.
  • Gordon Hayward left tonight’s game against the Clippers with a knee injury, but the X-rays came back negative, Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News reports. Coach Quin Snyder said that the team’s All-Star will be “fine.” The Jazz currently own the fourth seed in the Western Conference, though Los Angeles sits just 0.5 games back of that spot.
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Kevin Durant Will Likely Be On Minutes Restriction Upon Return

March 25th, 2017 at 9:44pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant will be re-evaluated by Golden State’s medical staff on Thursday to determine a more accurate timetable for his return. When he does suit up again, it’s likely he’ll be on a minutes restriction, Connor Letourneau of the San Fransisco Chronicle writes.

“It’s something we’ll consult the training staff on,” coach Steve Kerr said of Durant’s potential return. “I imagine we’ll ease him back by playing him shorter minutes to start, so he can build up his rhythm and his conditioning.”

It was previously reported that the Warriors are cautiously optimistic about Durant returning to the court before the playoffs begin. However, Kerr said he hasn’t considered how he’ll manage the rotation once that happens.

“That obviously has a domino effect on the entire rotation,” Kerr said. “When we get to that point, we’ll figure that out. But it’s not something I’m giving a lot of thought to right now because he’s still at least a couple weeks away.”

Over the last few days, the 2013/14 MVP has been able to run, dunk and shoot jump shots during and after practices. Letourneau notes that it’s unlikely Durant returns to the floor during the week of April 3. The ensuing week is the final portion of the NBA season. Golden State plays the Jazz on April 10 and its final game is against the Lakers on April 12.

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Poll: Best Point Guard In The Draft?

March 25th, 2017 at 8:25pm CST by ChrisCrouse

In 2017, we may see a draft class that contains the greatest collection of point guards in the history of the league, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link). Ford added that as many as four point guards could be selected in the first five picks. Here’s a brief breakdown of the point guards who could have their name called early on draft night:

  • Markelle Fultz is expected to be the top pick in the draft, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express. He averaged 23.2 points and 5.9 assists per game while sporting a 27.9 player efficiency rating during his lone season in Washington. His massive wingspan, coupled with his ability to make plays, should allow his game to translate to the next level. However, he wasn’t able to elevate his college team to the NCAA Tournament and he struggled against better competition, which are worrisome factors when evaluating the young prospect.
  • Lonzo Ball is not better than Stephen Curry. He is one of the best point guards in the draft and if you can get past all the noise his father is making, you can see why teams are placing Ball near the top of their draft boards. There aren’t many 19-year-olds who can control the game the way Ball does. His passing ability and court vision are top-notch and it wouldn’t be shocking if he’s the first player to have his name called in the upcoming draft.
  • Dennis Smith Jr. is an explosive athlete with great awareness on the court. He’s not the best shooter and like Fultz, Smith wasn’t able to get his team into the NCAA Tournament. Ford has him going to the Magic with the No. 5 pick in his latest mock draft.
  • De’Aaron Fox outdueled Ball and UCLA to lead his team to the elite eight. Fox is one of the fastest point guards in the draft. He’s an athletic prospect who excels on the defensive end. If Fox isn’t selected in the top-5, it’ll be because of his shaky jump shot has scared teams off. He made just 23.1% of the 3-point attempts during his lone season at Kentucky.
  • Frank Ntilikina is a long-armed, quick point guard from France with a smooth game that should transition well to the league. Givony believes he has plenty of room to grow and adds that the 18-year-old’s versatility and basketball IQ will reward whichever team selects him on draft night.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors 2016/17 NBA Reverse Standings]

Assuming all five of these prospects declare for the draft (Fox can’t declare until his team either wins the NCAA Championship or is eliminated. Fultz and Ball have officially declared. Smith is expected to declare; same with Ntilikina), which point guard selected in the 2017 draft will have the best career?

Don’t limit yourself to just a click of a button. Take to the comment section below to explain your selection. Think another point guard will have a better career than the aforementioned prospects? Let us know and make your case below. We look forward to what you have to say!

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Pacers Notes: Playoff Race, Ellis, George

March 25th, 2017 at 6:50pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pacers currently own the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve won just five of their 12 games during the month of March. Indiana has put together games where it looks like it has a legitimate chance to win a playoff series, but it also has moments where it appears that the back of the lottery is all the franchise can hope for. Sitting just one game behind them is the Heat. Miami has been one of the best teams since the All-Star break, posting the second best point differential over that stretch. If the Pacers don’t start playing better and more consistently, they’ll likely be starting at an eighth seed matchup against the Cavs or worse–a date with the ping pongs balls on May 16th.

As we wait to see if the team can maintain its playoff position, check out some notes from Indiana:

  • Monta Ellis has shot over 40% from behind the arc and 47.2% overall since the All-Star break and his play is impressing coach Nate McMillan, Mark Montieth of NBA.com writes.  “He’s been aggressive,” McMillan said of Ellis’ improved play. “We have really featured him with that second unit…and he’s been really aggressive.” Ellis is expected to enter the starting lineup while Glenn Robinson III recovers from a calf injury.
  • Paul George admits that the Pacers are in a slump and the All-Star is willing to do whatever it takes to get the team back on track, Montieth adds in the same piece. “At this point it’s win,” George said after a recent loss to the Nuggets. “Whatever I’ve got to do to win. If I have to put up 30 shots to win, I’ll put up 30 shots to win.”
  • Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star wonders if George needs to shoot less and be more unselfish. The All-Star has begun to take control of the Pacers‘ offense late in games, but coach McMillan doesn’t see it as an issue. “I think it’s always that case with the leading scorer on the team,” McMillan said. “Sometimes people look at the guy and say, ‘He’s selfish or that he needs to move the ball; or how many shot attempts [did he get?]’ I think you play the game the right way. … Last night, we were down 23 in the fourth and OK, somebody has to make something happen. I thought Paul got aggressive. I didn’t see any issues.”
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