Month: November 2024

Jordan Poole Talks Contract, Increased Role, Opposing Defenses, Future

February 23rd, 2023 at 2:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors guard Jordan Poole recently spoke with Mark Medina of NBA.com about how he feels he has been performing since signing his four-year rookie contract extension last summer, worth up to $140MM with incentives.

“In order for (Golden State’s front office and ownership) to make a decision like that and for me to make a decision like that, they obviously thought I deserved it,” Poole said. “They like the character that I have, the way I can lead a team and everything else I bring on and off the court. With being able to be me in an organization like this, I try to bring positive energy. I’m grateful and appreciative.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s pressure. If anything, it’s more exciting to know I’m locked into the Bay for the next five (years),” Poole noted. “We can go through the highs and lows of whatever it is. I embrace that. At 23 years old, it’s a pretty cool challenge.”

Through 58 games for the 29-29 Warriors, the 6’4″ combo guard is averaging career highs of 20.9 PPG and 4.5 APG, along with 2.8 RPG and 0.8 SPG, across 30.7 MPG this season. He’s posting respectable shooting splits of .440/.335/.860 at volume.

Here are a few more interesting quotes from their conversation, which is worth checking out in full:

On his increased role on the team this season:

“It’s cool. I try to do anything I can to try to help the team win. Whenever we’re winning games, I feel like I’m playing better. I’m able to be versatile and play in different situations. I start sometimes. Or I come off the bench and play the 1 or 2. Playing with different lineups adds to my versatility. I’m a big believer in trying to find ways to get better every day, whether it’s watching film, working on something in the gym or asking questions. I always think I’ll find ways to get better, whether I’m playing good or bad.”

On dealing with more defensive attention:

“I’ve loved it, honestly. To get the second team or the (first) team’s best defender and be the main focus of the game plan and coverage is awesome. It’s stuff that you dream about as a kid. I get to ask Steph what he sees and what he went through (earlier in his career). He’s one of the greatest players of all time. He has seen as many coverages, if not more, than some of the greatest players. It’s awesome to blend his perspective into my own personal style of play. It helps me learn and find ways to grow.”

On his future beyond this year:

“I’m trying to learn as much as I can with the greatness I’m around now. With the way basketball and life goes, I may not be on the same team with these guys forever. So, I’m trying to collect as much knowledge as I can. Whether it’s playing without these guys and playing with these guys, I’m embracing everything that I do.”

Texas Notes: Dieng, McDermott, Graham, Kleber, Stone

February 23rd, 2023 at 1:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Spurs veterans Gorgui Dieng and Doug McDermott will be tasked with helping to ensure that San Antonio’s young players continue to grow as the year winds down, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News.

The team is currently mired in a 14-game losing streak en route to a prime lottery pick. McDonald writes that some of the coaching burden falls onto the team’s two most experienced players, McDermott and Dieng, who can operate as unofficial coaches on the floor.

How long both players remain on the roster beyond this season is anyone’s guess. Dieng, 33, is signed to a one-year minimum deal, and will be a free agent this summer. McDermott, 31, is the team’s highest-paid player, and is set to earn $13.8MM in the final season of his very tradable current deal, 2023/24.

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

New Spurs guard Devonte’ Graham is still acclimating to his new environs, McDonald reports in another piece. After arriving in San Antonio by way of the Pelicans in a trade, he has yet to suit up for his new club in a home game. “I’m just trying to get adjusted,” Graham said. “I just packed enough to maintain for a couple of weeks… I’m just living out of a suitcase right now.”
Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber indicated to Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) that he expects he will miss at least Dallas’ next two games as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. Previous reporting suggested Kleber was hoping to return by the end of February.
Rockets team president Rafael Stone sat done for an extensive discussion about the team’s rebuild with Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “When we came into (the rebuild), we didn’t really have talent on the roster,” Stone said. “We didn’t have any cap space, we didn’t have any draft picks. We now have been able to recoup our draft picks, we have more cap space this summer than anybody else and I think we have a very talented roster… We need to translate those things into a team that becomes competitive and hopefully starts winning and winning big over time. And that’s the challenge in front of us starting this summer, but continuing on.”

Celtics Notes: Open Roster Spot, Brown, Griffin, Mazzulla

February 23rd, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Arthur Hill

Most of the best options on the buyout market have gone to other teams, but the Celtics plan to find someone to fill their open roster spot, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Whoever gets signed probably won’t play much, but owner Wyc Grousbeck confirms that Boston will have a full roster before the postseason begins.

“We’re looking at buyout candidates and free agents,” he said. “I’d be very surprised if we went into the playoffs with an open roster spot, don’t think that’s going to happen. … All those things are in process, but no, we’re not saving roster spots for a rainy day. We just gotta find the right fit.”

One potential candidate, according to Terada, is veteran swingman Will Barton, who reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards this week. The Celtics may be Barton’s best option to win a ring, although he could seek out a larger role with another team. Terada points to Stanley Johnson and John Wall as other possibilities, along with Juan Toscano-Anderson if he agrees to a buyout with the Jazz.

There’s more from Boston:

The Celtics have been dealing with injuries to their rotation players all season, but they’re fully healthy coming out of the All-Star break, Terada adds in another MassLive story. Jaylen Brown missed the previous four games with a facial fracture, but he’s not on the injury report after playing 25 minutes in the All-Star Game.
Blake Griffin‘s NBA experiences over 12 years enable him to relate to both the stars and role players on the Celtics’ roster, observes Jay King of The Athletic. Griffin is only playing sporadically in his first season in Boston, but he has become a popular leader in the locker room. “As you get older, you have to be somewhat self-aware,” Griffin said. “I don’t even know if self-aware is the right word. Just in touch with reality. Some guys just want to go make as much money as they possibly can. And I don’t fault anybody for any decision that they make, guys have to take care of what they want to take care of. I’ve been fortunate enough to be on some good teams and be in the position I am to be able to make these decisions based on trying to win a championship. So you have to let go of your ego and just be self-aware about your game. But the biggest driving point to me is just winning.”
Having the word “interim” removed from his job title isn’t a big deal for head coach Joe Mazzulla, who tells Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, “The interim tag was never a thing because we’re all interims.”

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 2/23/2023

February 23rd, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 10:00 am Central time (11:00 am Eastern).

Click here for today’s transcript.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Chats

Pacific Notes: Westbrook, Lakers, Payton, K. Thompson

February 23rd, 2023 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Russell Westbrook is glad to be in a situation where he feels wanted, but the Clippers only have a short time to figure out his best role with the team, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. L.A. shook up its backcourt with this week’s signing of Westbrook and trade deadline deals for Eric Gordon and Bones Hyland. It hasn’t been determined who will start and what the combinations will look like, and coach Tyronn Lue only has 21 games remaining to get his rotations in place.

“If he’s doing too much or not enough, I’ll let him know,” Lue said of Westbrook. “But we want him to be the player that he is, the MVP, the Hall of Famer, everything he brings every single night. We want him to be that person, that player. And then we’ve just got to make sure that it’s in the confines of our team and what we’re trying to do team-wise.”

Westbrook was stuck in a difficult situation with the Lakers, where he was a poor fit and an easy target for the team’s disappointing performance. A trade to Utah and a buyout with the Jazz gave him a chance to reset his career, and he said at Wednesday’s introductory press conference that he’s happy to be able to stay in L.A. and help the Clippers contend for a title.

“For me, it’s just finding my way to be able to help other guys,” Westbrook said. “It’s something I truly embrace, and that’s what I will do — make sure I can make the game easy for all these guys that are here, find out their spots, what they like, what they don’t like. And that’s going to be a process for me, but I’m ready for the challenge and looking forward to it.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers also remade their roster this month in hopes of making a push for the playoffs. Coach Darvin Ham tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN that three of the team’s newcomers — D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt — will be part of the starting lineup going forward. L.A.’s next seven games are against teams that it’s trailing in the Western Conference playoff race, and Ham knows they’re all important. “If we fall into a play-in situation, so be it,” he said. “But our No. 1 goal is to go secure a (playoff) spot, not just throw games off here or there (and) just wish for a play-in. We want to go secure a spot.”
The Warriors will reevaluate Gary Payton II‘s condition in about a month in hopes that he can be ready for the playoffs, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Golden State opted to go through with a four-team trade even though Payton wasn’t able to pass his physical. “Just have to take it day by day,” Payton said. “When the medical staff and I agree that things are good and it’s safe for me to get back out there and be able to be myself and my body feels like itself, we’ll come up with a decision.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Klay Thompson should be available for back-to-back games for the rest of the season, tweets Madeline Kennedy of The Bay Area News Group.

Hawks Targeting Quin Snyder In Coaching Search

February 23rd, 2023 at 8:44am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks are holding formal negotiations with Quin Snyder in hopes of hiring him as their next head coach, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Sources tell Charania that Snyder, who is reportedly out of the country, had a virtual meeting with Atlanta officials on Wednesday and the sides are hoping to meet in person soon. Charania’s sources add that Snyder appears to be the team’s main target and the Hawks would like to get a deal in place soon.

There is “mutual interest” between Snyder and Atlanta, Charania adds, as management views him as someone who can improve the team’s culture on and off the court.

Snyder spent eight years as head coach of the Jazz before resigning in June. He compiled a 372-264 record and took Utah to the playoffs in his final six seasons with the team. Snyder was expected to take a year off from coaching to consider his next move, but the opportunity with Atlanta might be too good to pass up.

The Hawks fired Nate McMillan on Tuesday following a disappointing 29-30 start to the season. Atlanta was hoping to be among the top teams in the East after paying a high price to acquire Dejounte Murray in an offseason trade, but the club was floundering amid reported locker room tension and a shakeup in the front office.

As the only team currently in the market for a head coach, the Hawks have the advantage of being able to pursue their preferred choice with no competition. Other rumored candidates include Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson, South Bay Lakers coach Miles Simon and former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka.

Nets Notes: Simmons, Buyout Market, Chemistry, Vaughn

February 23rd, 2023 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Nets remade their roster at this month’s trade deadline, Ben Simmons remains the “elephant in the room,” one league executive tells Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. The executive believes that Simmons “kind of skated on a lot of the criticism” amid the Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant drama.

“Brooklyn had questions and problems with Kyrie and KD from an organizational standpoint, but at least those guys could play,” the exec said. “They were good. Ben has been less than good.”

Back surgery last spring has limited Simmons to some extent this season, but the former No. 1 overall pick has also seemed to lack confidence, especially in half-court offense situations where he can’t use his size and athleticism as effectively as he does in transition.

“When you guard him more like a non-shooter, it’s hard for him to make decisions, because the decision that you need to make is shoot the ball,” the executive said to Bulpett. “… Ultimately for Ben, shooting is the Kryptonite. His decision-making when people are up into his body and he’s running full speed down the court and he’s in the open court with his size, he’s pretty good. But in the half-court, his decision making struggles because he can’t shoot.”

The Nets have spent much of the season searching for the ideal role for Simmons, but head coach Jacque Vaughn remains reluctant to have him on the court alongside center Nic Claxton due to spacing issues, notes Andrew Crane of The New York Post. As a result, the “ongoing Simmons conundrum,” as Crane puts it, may continue to be an issue for the rest of the season. The 26-year-old has two years and about $78MM left on his contract after this year.

Here’s more out of Brooklyn:

The Nets have kept an eye on the buyout market, but haven’t made it a top priority despite possessing an open 15-man roster spot, Crane writes for The New York Post. The team has more than enough depth and Vaughn and general manager Sean Marks don’t want to mess with Brooklyn’s locker room chemistry.
While the Nets have made plenty of mistakes in recent years, signing Vaughn to a long-term extension wasn’t one of them, according to Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post, who lauds the team for doing right by a consummate professional like Vaughn.
Collin Helwig of NetsDaily wonders whether the Nets should look to the Cavaliers as a model worth emulating. As Helwig observes, Cleveland built a strong core and culture and complemented that core by acquiring a star (Donovan Mitchell) this offseason. That’s the sort of deal Brooklyn could eventually seek out to augment the team’s young talent.

Bradley Beal Discusses Future With Wizards, Desire To Compete For A Title

February 22nd, 2023 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bradley Beal is among a handful of NBA players who are celebrated for their loyalty to a franchise, and although he doesn’t have any immediate plans to leave the Wizards, there appear to be limits to how long he’ll wait for the team to become a contender. In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Beal talked repeatedly about how much he wants to compete for a title, something Washington hasn’t been in position to do since he arrived there a decade ago.

“I’m patient, but there comes a time where you have to be a little selfish and draw a line in the sand, for sure,” Beal said. “So, I have thoughts in my head but at the same time I stay in the moment. I stay engaged with what we have and what we do and don’t get caught up in noise and just go from there, take it a day at a time, control what I can control.”

The Wizards have just three playoff series wins in Beal’s time with the organization and have missed the postseason in three of the past four years. They won 10 of their last 14 games before the All-Star break, but they’re still just ninth in the East, leaving Beal far short of what he wants most.

“I feel like I’ve accomplished a good amount of my career,” he said. “I’ve been an All-Star, been All-NBA, averaged 30 (points per game) in the league. It’s just, ‘OK, what can I do now? What do you want to do?’ Win, win, win, win, win at the highest level, play in meaningful games, win multiple playoff series, get to the Finals, win a Finals. That’s what I want to do. That’s the goal.”

Beal covers several other topics in the interview:

On the mixed emotions he felt attending Game 4 of last year’s NBA Finals:

“I was sitting with my wife, and I was like telling (Jayson Tatum) just like, ‘No, guard him, guard him,’ like I’m on the team. Man, I got to chill. But just the atmosphere, as a competitor, you’re like, ‘Yo, I want to be a part of this. I want to hoop on this stage.’ So that, there was nothing like it. I’d have drove myself mad if I’d have went to more than one game.”

On the disappointment of missing the Olympics after being placed in health and safety protocols:

“It’s something that’s out of your control. Obviously, in hindsight, I wish I would’ve got the vaccine. I wish I’d have had it at the time because I could’ve avoided all that. But everything happens for a reason. Again, I’m proud of the opportunity. I could come again in another year, so it’s not like it’s out of reach, or I won’t have another opportunity at it. So, I’m definitely excited about it. I was happy to be a part of the team with a great group of guys. Coach (Steve) Kerr, Coach Pop (Gregg Popovich), everybody was awesome. And just to still have that relationship with them today is cool.”

On his level of confidence that the Wizards can become a contender:

“We’re making steps to compete, and we’re doing it on a nightly basis. (Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard) is making moves to improve the team. So, all I can do is sit back, trust him, trust his process, work with what we are working with. It’s not easy. The grass isn’t always greener. I understand that when you give up, hell, if I go somewhere (else), you’re giving up a lot. So, that factors into a lot of stuff, too. So obviously you try to put yourself in the best situation possible for yourself and your family. We’re trying to build on it. We’re trying to do that here.”

On conversations with other one-team players such as Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard:

“We all think the same. It’s just our commitment to want to win where we’re at, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. We’re just trusting the organizations that drafted us. They put that trust in us. They continue to invest in us, and we’re just trying to pay that back. We’re trying to give them our all that we possibly can, and I love it, man. I don’t think there’s nothing wrong with it. I take pride in that.”

Central Notes: Love, Beverley, Pacers, Giannis

February 22nd, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Donovan Mitchell admits to being “shocked” by Kevin Love‘s buyout with the Cavaliers, which occurred while players were scattered for the All-Star break, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Mitchell was involved with numerous events during All-Star Weekend, and he hasn’t been able to talk to Love about his decision to leave Cleveland and sign with the Heat.

“I don’t think any of us take it personally,” Mitchell said. “I think his role in the past 10 or 11 games wasn’t what he wanted and as players we understand that. If that was his decision, then that’s fine. … I think that’s ultimately the best decision for him as a player and you want to respect that. I have no doubt in my mind that he is going to thrive in Miami. Ultimate professional. Wish him nothing but the best. We will see him in a few weeks. He’s a hell of a player, hell of a person and I’m appreciative of my time with him.”

Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff also sensed that Love was unhappy after being replaced in the rotation when Dean Wade returned from an injury in late January. Bickerstaff asked Love to be a mentor for the team, but he could tell Love wasn’t satisfied with that role.

“Not a disruptive unhappy or combative unhappy,” Bickerstaff said. “Kevin wants to play. I understand that. He wants to be on the floor. He can help teams or help a team. He believes that. I think it’s that frustration of not being able to participate with your teammates that you could feel and you could sense.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Billy Donovan hasn’t decided if Patrick Beverley will start or not, but the veteran guard will definitely see playing time, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The Bulls held a press conference Wednesday to welcome their latest free agent addition, who committed to Chicago after reaching a buyout agreement with Orlando. “He’s been an elite defender and an elite competitor,” Donovan said. “I think if you look at his career, he’s continued to improve his shooting. He’s shot the ball better and better throughout his career. He’s taken on all sorts of very difficult defensive assignments. I think he understands and knows the personnel in this league very well.”
Whether or not the Pacers make the playoffs, the rest of this season will help determine who will be part of the team’s future, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana will build around Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin, and Myles Turner‘s extension figures to keep him in place for at least two more years, but there are logjams at other positions that need to be worked out.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice and his status for the Bucks‘ games on Friday and Sunday hasn’t been determined, tweets Eric Nehm of The Journal-Sentinel. Jae Crowder is expected to make his debut with the team on Friday night, Nehm adds (Twitter link).

Ime Udoka Among Candidates For Hawks’ Coaching Vacancy

February 22nd, 2023 at 8:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks are considering Ime Udoka as a potential replacement for Nate McMillan, sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Rumors swirled about several prominent coaches after McMillan’s dismissal was announced Tuesday, but this is the first time we’ve heard Udoka as a possibility. Stein notes that Atlanta officials have only acknowledged former Jazz coach Quin Snyder as a candidate, but adds that he’s heard Bucks assistant Charles Lee mentioned frequently among his sources.

Udoka parted ways with the Celtics last week after the organization removed the interim tag from Joe Mazzulla, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. Udoka had been under suspension since September for having an affair with a staff member.

The 45-year-old could be one of the most sought-after names on the coaching market when the season ends, so Atlanta has the chance to lock him down before any other teams make coaching changes. In his only year as a head coach, Udoka took the Celtics to the NBA Finals last season.

Udoka was briefly considered the favorite to replace Steve Nash when he reached a mutual agreement with the Nets to step down in November, but protests regarding Udoka’s conduct in Boston convinced Brooklyn to move in a different direction and give the job to Jacque Vaughn. We’ll have to see if a similar situation arises involving the Hawks or any other franchise that may consider hiring Udoka.

In addition to the names mentioned above, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson, and South Bay Lakers coach Miles Simon are considered to be candidates in Atlanta’s coaching search. Interim head coach Joe Prunty will lead the team when it resumes its season on Friday.

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