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Timberwolves Win 2020 Draft Lottery; Warriors, Hornets, Bulls In Top Four

August 20th, 2020 at 7:55pm CST by Luke Adams

With Thursday night’s lottery results now official, the top 14 picks in the 2020 NBA draft have been set. The lottery order is as follows:

Minnesota Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Atlanta Hawks
Detroit Pistons
New York Knicks
Washington Wizards
Phoenix Suns
San Antonio Spurs
Sacramento Kings
New Orleans Pelicans
Boston Celtics (from Memphis Grizzlies)

The Timberwolves, who entered the lottery with a 14.0% shot at the No. 1 overall pick, will get the opportunity to add a top prospect to a core that already includes D’Angelo Russell – the team’s draft representative on Thursday – and Karl-Anthony Towns, who is a former No. 1 pick himself.

Wolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas will face a fascinating decision with the No. 1 pick, since the 2020 draft class has no consensus top prospect — Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, LaMelo Ball, and Obi Toppin are among the players expected to receive consideration at the top of the draft board. With Russell and Towns as anchors, some of those players look like better fits than others for Minnesota.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to land the first overall pick in this year’s draft, marking only the second time in franchise history,” Rosas said in a statement. “We are excited for the possibilities ahead of us to bring in a high caliber player now that we secured the first overall selection. As a front office, we are proud of what we’ve built here in Minnesota so far and we are looking forward to continuing to build upon that foundation in this year’s draft.”

The Warriors, who were tied with the Wolves for the lottery’s best odds, claim the No. 2 pick, which will give president of basketball operations Bob Myers and his team plenty of options this offseason. With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson coming back from injuries, Golden State hopes to return to contention in 2020/21, so the club is expected to consider trading its lottery pick for immediate help if a favorable deal arises.

The Hornets and Bulls entered the lottery with the eighth- and seventh-best odds, so they got lucky in moving up to No. 3 and 4, respectively. Charlotte had a 6.7% shot at the No. 3 pick, while Chicago’s odds for No. 4 were 8.5%.

Charlotte is in rebuilding mode and president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak has repeatedly stated that the club will prioritize adding the best player available rather than focusing on a specific need. New Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has expressed a similar sentiment, and is in position to put a stamp on the franchise with a top-four pick in his first year on the job.

The Cavaliers are perhaps the biggest loser of the night, having slipped from second in the lottery standings to fifth. This will be the second consecutive year in which Cleveland has had the No. 5 overall pick — the club will look to add to a young core that features Collin Sexton and Darius Garland.

The Hawks, Pistons, and Knicks each slid two spots in the lottery to Nos. 6, 7, and 8, respectively. Those picks will represent the first draft picks for new Detroit general manager Troy Weaver and New York’s new president of basketball operations Leon Rose.

The remaining lottery selections – for the six lottery teams who were part of the NBA’s summer restart in Orlando – played out as expected. However, the Wizards‘ fate is worth noting — they technically finished with the league’s eighth-worst record, but were locked into the No. 9 spot in the lottery standings because the eight teams not invited to Orlando were assigned the top eight spots.

If the order had instead been based on records after the summer seeding games and the Wizards had entered the evening at No. 8 in the lottery standings, it would’ve been Washington – not Charlotte – that moved up to claim the third overall pick.

Assuming it’s not postponed again, the 2020 NBA draft will take place on October 16. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, teams are expected to have to make their picks without having evaluated any prospects in person for the last few months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Smart Under Microscope With Hayward Out

August 20th, 2020 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston explores how Al Horford‘s departure a year ago created a murky future for the Celtics, and how Kemba Walker‘s arrival brightened that future.
Celtics guard Marcus Smart will be under the microscope with Gordon Hayward sidelined, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.

Celtics "Aggressively Treating" Hayward's Ankle Sprain

August 20th, 2020 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are “aggressively treating” Gordon Hayward‘s ankle sprain, head coach Brad Stevens said on Wednesday (Twitter link). The club should have a better idea within the next few days of what the next steps for Hayward’s rehab will be. The veteran forward is expected to miss about four weeks.

Injury Notes: Porzingis, Beverley, Oladipo, J. Brown, Westbrook

August 19th, 2020 at 2:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks center Kristaps Porzingis has been upgraded to probable for tonight’s game against the Clippers, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. He had been listed as questionable with irritation in his right knee, similar to the condition that forced him to miss 10 games in December and January, adds Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). The ACL tear Porzingis suffered in 2018 was in his left knee.

Dallas may need a huge effort from Porzingis to even up the playoff series. He posted 14 points and six rebounds before being ejected early in the third quarter of Game 1, which may have been the turning point in L.A.’s victory.

There’s more injury news to pass along:

Clippers guard Patrick Beverley is listed as questionable for tonight with a left calf strain that forced him to miss the final five seeding games, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). Beverley was able to play 20 minutes in the series opener, but was limited by foul trouble.
The Pacers have “no immediate concerns” about guard Victor Oladipo, who was poked in the eye during Monday’s game, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Oladipo played just 8:34 in the loss, as the injury happened in the first quarter and coach Nate McMillan never considered putting him back in the game. “It wasn’t an option,” McMillan said. “His vision was really blurry, really couldn’t see out of his eye when we spoke to him at halftime, and he was going to get that checked out.” Oladipo, who is listed as day to day, was able to participate in today’s walkthrough (Twitter link from Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel).
The Celtics are listing Jaylen Brown as probable for today’s game with a right thigh bruise, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Brown suffered the injury in a collision with Sixers center Joel Embiid in the second half of Game 1 and was able to remain in the game.
Rockets guard Russell Westbrook continues to make progress in recovering from a strained quardriceps muscle, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, but coach Mike D’Antoni said he’s still not cleared to take the court and there’s no timetable for him to return. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take,” D’Antoni said. “It’s going to take a little bit. He’s working hard and he’s feeling better every day. The images are looking better. But I think it’s too early to say how many days he’s out. I don’t think anybody knows.”

Joe Dumars Won’t Be A Candidate In Kings’ Front Office Search

August 19th, 2020 at 11:10am CST by Arthur Hill

Last week’s shakeup left Joe Dumars in charge of the Kings‘ front office, but that’s not a role he wants to keep long-term, according to Sam Amick and Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Dumars has no interest in remaining Sacramento’s head of basketball operations and will not be a candidate in the upcoming search, the authors report. However, he will be included in the hiring process and will interview candidates along with owner Vivek Ranadive. The new GM will have full control of roster moves and will report directly to Ranadive, rather than Dumars.

The Kings haven’t determined what Dumars’ role with the franchise will be once a new GM is selected, which could become a “problematic component,” Amick and Charania add. There’s no timeline to fill the opening, so Dumars and assistant GM Ken Catanella could be making the draft and free agency decisions in October.

Mike Forde of Sportsology is expected to be the leader in the search for GM candidates. He formerly served as senior manager for Chelsea’s soccer franchise in the English Premier League, and his web site lists the Clippers, Spurs, Sixers and Nets as clients. He also worked as an adviser for the Wizards last spring after they fired Ernie Grunfeld as president of basketball operations.

When he hired Dumars, Ranadive reportedly envisioned a power-sharing arrangement in the front office with former GM Vlade Divac. However, Divac wasn’t willing to accept that and opted to resign, followed a day later by assistant GM Peja Stojakovic.

The authors note there is “significant interest” in the position around the league, despite concerns about what Dumars’ ultimate role might be. “A swell of support” has emerged for Knicks GM Scott Perry, who briefly served as VP of basketball operations in Sacramento before leaving for New York. Sources claim Ranadive and Perry are still on good terms and have remained in touch in the nearly three years since Perry’s departure.

Perry helped the Kings get an individual workout with De’Aaron Fox before the 2017 draft and improved the organization’s reputation through his close relationships with agents and executives. Perry still has a year left on his contract, but a source tells the authors he would be interested in returning to Sacramento as long as he’s guaranteed the final decision on personnel moves. The Kings would have to request permission from the Knicks to talk to Perry, which sources tell Amick and Charania they hadn’t done as of Tuesday night.

The authors list Clippers assistant GMs Mark Hughes and Trent Redden as other candidates to watch, along with Raptors GM Bobby Webster, Celtics VP of basketball operations Mike Zarren, Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, Timberwolves executive VP of basketball operations Sachin Gupta, Spurs VP of basketball operations Brent Barry, and Rockets assistant GM Eli Witus.

Latest On Kings’ GM Search

August 18th, 2020 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings appear likely to hire an executive search firm to help them find a new permanent general manager following Vlade Divac‘s departure, league sources tell Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. However, according to Anderson, several names have already been connected to the position as possible targets for Saramento.

Anderson identifies Spurs VP of basketball operations Brent Barry, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster, Knicks GM Scott Perry, Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren, Heat assistant GM Adam Simon, and Clippers assistant GM Trent Redden as executives who may be on the Kings’ preliminary list of candidates.

Sean Cunningham of ABC10, who singled out many of those same execs as ones to watch, mentioned veteran agent Bill Duffy as another possibility (Twitter link). However, Duffy indicated today that he currently has no plans to follow in the footsteps of Bob Myers, Leon Rose, and other agents who have made the move to a team’s front office.

“There’s no truth to me joining an NBA organization,” Duffy told Jason Jones and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I’m fully committed to my clients and their success.”

Joe Dumars, who is the Kings’ interim head of basketball operations, will be involved in the search for a new GM, though team owner Vivek Ranadive and COO Matina Kolokotronis are “viewed as the ultimate decision makers,” Anderson writes.

Anderson also notes that it will be interesting to see what sort of role Dumars ultimately retains in the front office, since Divac’s departure stemmed from Ranadive’s desire to have the former Pistons GM take on a larger role and to have the final say on the roster. Sources tell Anderson that some qualified candidates may be reluctant to fill Sacramento’s GM opening if it doesn’t come with full control over the roster.

Gordon Hayward Expected To Miss Four Weeks With Ankle Injury

August 18th, 2020 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics expect to be without Gordon Hayward for approximately the next four weeks, announcing today (via Twitter) that the forward suffered a Grade III sprain of his right ankle during the fourth quarter of Monday’s Game 1 win over Philadelphia.

Hayward was battling with 76ers center Joel Embiid for position late in the fourth quarter on Monday when he appeared to twisted his right foot and fell to the floor. He was able to limp off the court and back to the locker room, but left the arena on crutches, per Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). The veteran later underwent an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.

It’s a tough blow for Hayward – who has been plagued by injuries since arriving in Boston in 2017 – and for the Celtics, whose already lean pretty heavily on their top few rotation players.

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN observes, Marcus Smart will likely replace Hayward in the starting lineup, joining Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker, and Daniel Theis. That would leave players like Robert Williams, Enes Kanter, Brad Wanamaker, Romeo Langford, and Grant Williams as Boston’s top bench options.

A four-week recovery timetable for Hayward would rule him out for the rest of the Celtics’ first-round series vs. Philadelphia. Assuming Boston advances to the second round, the 30-year-old may not be available against the team’s next opponent (presumably Toronto) either, since the conference semifinals are scheduled to take place during the first two weeks of September.

Further complicating Hayward’s future availability are his plans to leave the NBA campus at some point in September for the birth of his fourth child. It’s not clear whether that will happen early or late in the month.

Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Tolliver, Cap Room, Draft Pick

August 16th, 2020 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ja Morant‘s 35-point performance against the Trail Blazers Saturday was even more remarkable considering he was playing with a fractured right thumb, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The likely Rookie of the Year told reporters he suffered the injury four games ago.

It’s the latest in a series of mishaps that left the Grizzlies fighting for their playoff life in Orlando after holding a 3 1/2-game lead for the eighth seed when the hiatus began. Jaren Jackson Jr., Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow were all unavailable as the team tried to hang on. Still, Memphis was among the league’s biggest surprises this year and is already looking forward to next season.

“I’m proud of everybody — our whole staff, our players. I mean, we played through a lot of adversities,” Morant said. “We faced injuries early in the season — starting with me and then Brandon (Clarke) and then Jaren. Coming here, we still faced some injuries to some key guys on the team. But we never gave up. I’m proud of our fight.”

There’s more on the Grizzlies:

Anthony Tolliver, who started the season with Portland, told Morant to use Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard as an example as he develops his game, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Tolliver is most impressed by the way Lillard bounces back after failure. “I told Ja that has to be in your DNA,” Tolliver said. “If you want to be the best guard in this league, which you have the potential to be, that has to be in your DNA, the ability to learn to respond and lead your team when you need it.”
Memphis has its entire projected starting five under contract through at least 2021/22, so it won’t need to make any major moves this offseason, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN. The addition of Winslow and Gorgui Dieng at the trade deadline, along with the decision to take on Dion Waiters‘ $12.7MM salary, means the Grizzlies won’t have any cap room to work with. They will have an estimated $9.3MM mid-level exception, part of which may be used to re-sign De’Anthony Melton and Josh Jackson.
Saturday’s loss puts the Grizzlies in the lottery, but their pick will go to the Celtics unless they land a top-four selection in Thursday’s drawing, Marks tweets. If Memphis holds onto the pick, it will become unprotected next year (Twitter link).

Romeo Langford Sidelined With Torn Wrist Ligaments

August 15th, 2020 at 3:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

An injured right wrist may keep Celtics rookie Romeo Langford out of the playoffs, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Coach Brad Stevens said Langford suffered torn ligaments in his shooting wrist Thursday during the team’s final seeding game.

“He will probably have to do something about [the injury] at some time. But we’re still going through the process of determining the next step with him,” Stevens told reporters today. “I don’t know if that means that, down the road, he’ll have to take time off, if that means he’ll have to have it worked on, but they’re determining and we’re still in the process of determining how he feels and whether or not he’ll be available or not.”

Forsberg notes that injuries have been a frequent issue for Langford, who played with an injured thumb last season at Indiana University. He had surgery on the thumb that forced him to miss the start of training camp and sat out 13 total games this year as a result of a sore right knee, a right ankle sprain and an illness.

Langford still showed some promise during his first NBA season, particularly during the seeding games, and Stevens suggested that he might have seen regular minutes in the playoffs.

“He’d be better able to answer the emotional roller coaster you go on when you experience those injuries and those setbacks, and it’s always been significant enough that it’s been at least a portion of time, not just a day here or there. So that stinks,” Stevens said. “I feel for him. He is a hard-working guy, he’s a tough guy, and I think he’s got a bright, bright future. Again, I hope that he’s able to play, but that’s going to be totally dependent on our doctors, and dependent on his, probably, pain. So he’s going to have to test that and get used to it and see what it feels like. If not, then we’ll have him back when we have him back.”

Seven Of Eight First-Round Playoff Matchups Set

August 13th, 2020 at 6:59am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 13: Following wins by the Thunder and Clippers on Wednesday night, three Western Conference first-round matchups have now been set, with only the Lakers still awaiting their opponent. Those first-round series are as follows:

Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Play-in winner (8)
Los Angeles Clippers (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (7)
Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Utah Jazz (6)
Oklahoma City Thunder (4/5) vs. Houston Rockets (4/5)

We’ll know by the end of Thursday which two teams out of the Trail Blazers, Grizzlies, Suns, and Spurs will be participating in the play-in tournament in the West, but it may be Sunday before the Lakers know their first-round opponent.

AUGUST 12: As a result of the Pacers’ 108-104 win over Houston this afternoon, the four Eastern Conference matchups for the first round of the postseason have been set. They are as follows:

Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Orlando Magic (8)
Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Brooklyn Nets (7)
Boston Celtics (3) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (6)
Miami Heat (4/5) vs. Indiana Pacers (4/5)

Typically, the Heat and Pacers would be continuing to fight for home court advantage in their series, but the unusual nature of this season means claiming the No. 4 seed instead of No. 5 won’t make much of a difference.

Despite the fact that several teams were within two or three games of one another in the standings when the restart began – or were even tied, like the Pacers and Sixers – the first-round matchups in the East look exactly the same as they did when the season was suspended on March 11.

Over in the West, a small number of teams – including the No. 1 Lakers – are locked into their playoff spots, but most matchups remain up in the air. For now, the most likely pairings are Lakers/play-in winner, Clippers/Mavericks, Nuggets/Jazz, and Rockets/Thunder, but one or more of those could change by Friday.