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Sam Cassell Among Lakers’ Head Coaching Candidates

May 14th, 2024 at 10:33am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics assistant Sam Cassell is among the candidates to become the Lakers‘ next head coach, according to Shams Charania and Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who describe Cassell, James Borrego, and J.J. Redick as the team’s “initial leading targets.” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that Borrego and Redick are “names to watch” in Los Angeles’ head coaching search.

A former All-Star and three-time champion as an NBA player, Cassell transitioned to coaching in 2009. He spent five seasons as an assistant with the Wizards before spending the next decade coaching under Doc Rivers, including stints with the Clippers from 2014-20 and the Sixers from 2020-23. He was hired by the Celtics as Joe Mazzulla‘s lead assistant last spring.

According to reports from both Charania and Buha at The Athletic and Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers’ initial round of head coaching interviews is expected to focus on candidates the franchise doesn’t know as well and hasn’t previously vetted. After speaking to those candidates, the Lakers will move on to talking to the ones they’re more familiar with before eventually narrowing the full group down to a smaller pool of finalists, per ESPN.

In addition to Borrego, Redick, and Cassell, potential candidates like David Adelman, Kenny Atkinson, Micah Nori, Chris Quinn, and Sean Sweeney have been linked to the Lakers. Here’s more on the search:

Sources tell Charania and Buha that the Lakers are seeking a coach who can command the locker room and hold players accountable. Their ideal candidate would also “tirelessly game-plan and provide a level of structure and organization,” according to The Athletic. Wojnarowski and McMenamin add that the term “grinder” keeps coming up in Rob Pelinka‘s conversations with people around the league about what he’s looking for.
While the Lakers are hoping to have LeBron James around for at least one or two more seasons, they’re “placing a premium” on finding a head coach who can maximize Anthony Davis‘ talents, per Charania and Buha. “This should be more of a hire about AD than LeBron,” one source told The Athletic.
Longtime Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski is serving as a useful “unofficial resource” for the Lakers during their search process, multiple sources tell The Athletic. Krzyzewski has a level of familiarity with a number of the candidates L.A. is considering, including former Blue Devils sharpshooter Redick.

Cavs Notes: Officiating, Mitchell, Allen, LeVert, Wade, LeBron

May 14th, 2024 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers outscored the Celtics in the paint (42-38) in Monday’s Game 4 loss, but they were awarded just seven free throws on the night, compared to 24 for Boston. As Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes, Cleveland’s players and head coach expressed their displeasure after the game with that discrepancy.

“We drive the ball … a lot,” Cavs guard Darius Garland said, emphasizing the last two words. “Seven free throws, two of those were techs, so five (free throws) in a 48-minute game, it’s tough. … I know how many times I get hit. I know many times my teammates get hit, put on the floor and we can’t reciprocate it. It’s tough.”

“I thought our guys deserved much better, the way that they were competing,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “They were attacking the paint. You know, they were getting after it the same (as Boston). We’re not asking for anything more, but we’re asking for equal. And I don’t think we got an equal opportunity at it tonight from that standpoint.”

The Game 4 loss puts the Cavaliers on the brink of elimination. They’ll face a 3-1 deficit as they travel back to Boston for Wednesday’s Game 5.

We have more out of Cleveland:

Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell, who was unavailable for Game 4 due to a left calf strain, admitted that his status for Game 5 is “very much in doubt,” writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). The injury is affecting the same leg that has bothered Mitchell in recent months — he missed 16 games down the stretch as a result of tendinitis in his left knee, and he’s wary of returning sooner than he should and risking a more serious injury. “It’s not just the calf strain,” Mitchell told Fedor. “The calf can lead to an Achilles and then things get much worse.”
The Cavs’ issues extend beyond Mitchell. Within the same Cleveland.com story, Fedor says that Jarrett Allen‘s return from a rib contusion “doesn’t feel close” and adds that Caris LeVert aggravated a knee issue on Monday that has been bothering him as of late.
Even Dean Wade, who has been able to suit up for the past two games following a lengthy absence due to a right knee injury, isn’t fully out of the woods. According to Fedor (subscription required), the possibility of offseason surgery hasn’t been ruled out for the Cavs forward. “There’s still concern,” said Wade, who declined to offer specific details on the diagnosis. “We’ll see what happens after the season. We had options and we took this option as the best path.”
Lakers star LeBron James, who was in attendance at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for Monday’s Game 4, received a loud standing ovation from Cavs fans, as Vardon writes for The Athletic. In a separate story for The Athletic, Jason Lloyd – arguing that James’ public actions are always “calculated” – considers whether another return to Cleveland is a possibility for the four-time MVP before he retires. During a segment on ESPN’s Get Up, Brian Windhorst (YouTube link) also discussed James’ appearance in Cleveland.

Donovan Mitchell Out For Game 4 Due To Calf Strain

May 13th, 2024 at 5:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers leading scorer Donovan Mitchell will miss Game 4 against the Celtics tonight due to a left calf strain, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

The absence of Mitchell puts Cleveland in a dire situation as it tries to even the series. The Cavs trail the top-seeded Celtics, 2-1, after losing Game 3 on their home floor.

Mitchell was listed as questionable to play on Sunday’s injury report. Concern grew when he didn’t take part in the open portion of the team’s shootaround, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports. Mitchell watched film and underwent treatment but did not warm up for the game.

“Just the other night, toward the back end of that fourth quarter, it just started to build on him and became sore,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.

Mitchell scored a team-high 33 points in 43 minutes in Game 3.

Starting center Jarrett Allen also remains out due to a bruised rib. He hasn’t played since Game 4 of the team’s first-round series vs. Orlando.

Caris LeVert will start in place of Mitchell, while Isaac Okoro continues to start in Allen’s spot.

Cavaliers Notes: Mitchell, Game 3, Tweaks

May 12th, 2024 at 1:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The recent performances of Cavaliers players not named Donovan Mitchell are certainly not endearing Cleveland to the All-Star shooting guard, opines Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

On Saturday, the Cavaliers fell 106-93 to the Celtics in Game 3 of their ongoing second round matchup, which Cleveland now trails 2-1. Boston led for almost 42 of the contest’s 48 minutes, including by double digits for much of the second half.

Cleveland especially struggled on offense, making just 13 three point shots.

“At the end of the day, we didn’t score,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t score when we needed to respond back. We’ll be better. This series is not going to be easy. Continue to fight and claw like we have been.”

“A lot of it was self-induced,” Mitchell said of the defeat. “I think a lot of things we did wrong. You give them credit. But there were a bunch of things that we could have done better.”

Across the past five playoff games, Mitchell has score over 180 points and nailed 20 or more triples on 50% from the field or better. It’s the second time he’s achieved this feat. He’s also the only player in league history to have achieved this, per Fedor. His Cleveland comrades couldn’t help handle the offensive load effectively. He has one guaranteed season left on his current contract, and could ask for a trade this summer.

There’s more out of Cleveland:

After the Game 3 defeat, Mitchell seemed more noticeably upset than he had been at any prior point in the playoffs, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “We held them to 106, and that’s not a bad defensive game against a team like that, but it’s the key moments of when they get those points, the runs they get and then not being able to score back on the other end,” Mitchell said. “It just compounds, and it compounds. I think that’s the frustrating part of it.” With Game 4 forthcoming on Monday, the Cavaliers have little time to mope.
To win Game 4 and level the series, it may behoove the Cavaliers to consider starting newly-returned forward Dean Wade in the stead of defense-first Isaac Okoro, and tinkering more with a smaller lineup comprising Mitchell, Darius Garland, Sam Merrill, Caris LeVert and Evan Mobley, opines Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.
In case you missed it, the Cavaliers are considered to potentially be interested in trading for star Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram this summer, along with the Hawks.

Celtics Notes: Cavaliers Series, Defense, Kornet, White

May 11th, 2024 at 8:18am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Celtics fell to the Cavaliers, 118-94, in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday, allowing Cleveland to shoot 46.4% from beyond the arc on 28 three-point attempts. Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe opines that this was more than a case of the Celtics simply missing shots and allowing the Cavs to get hot — they were neutralized by the presence of Evan Mobley.

After getting blown out in Game 1, the Cavaliers ran through Mobley, who finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points while Caris LeVert contributed 21 off the bench. It was Cleveland’s first road playoff win in six years. Nothing was working for the Celtics, Washburn writes, beyond getting Jayson Tatum to the free-throw line (11 attempts), while Derrick White and Jrue Holiday ran cold (14 combined points).

“I think when you lose a game like that, it could be a combination of tactics, a combination of effort, a combination of all those things,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “You treat it the same way you would a win, you come in, watch the film and you get better for Game 3.”

In a similar piece, Danny Chau of The Ringer analyzes Boston’s postseason, writing that Tatum hasn’t been the best version of himself through the first seven Celtics playoff games.

“Nobody in [the locker room was] defeated or deflated,” Tatum said. “You never want to lose, especially in the playoffs. A lot of things we can learn from. We get it, right? The world thinks we’re never supposed to lose. We’re supposed to win every game by 25. And it’s just not going to be like that all the time.”

We have more from the Celtics:

This is the second straight Game 2 in which the Celtics’ opponents got hot from beyond the arc and defeated Boston on its home floor, Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes. After Mitchell made five of his seven threes and 10 of his 19 shots on the night, guard Jaylen Brown said Boston had no excuse for allowing him to heat up. “It’s the playoffs, that can’t happen. I don’t care if you’re missing shots, you’ve got to guard the guy on the other end,” Brown said. “That allows you to miss more shots if you’re playing defense. But you can’t miss shots and then allow them to make shots at the other end. That was unacceptable.”
Boston’s starters were taken out of the game with about five minutes left in regulation in Game 2, Jay King of The Athletic observes, with the team looking ahead to Game 3. “I just felt like that was the best thing to do at that particular time,” Mazzulla said. “We have another game coming up soon.” King writes how the Celtics respond will be most indicative of their ability to — or lack thereof — to win a championship.
Though he didn’t make a big impact in Game 2, backup center Luke Kornet was a huge reason why Boston blew out Cleveland in Game 1 of the series, MassLive’s Brian Robb writes. Kornet, who took on a larger role due to Kristaps Porzingis‘ absence, recorded four points, 10 rebounds and a pair of blocks in the victory, sparking the Celtics bench.
Like Kornet, White had a quieter Game 2 but was integral to Boston’s Game 1 success. White recorded 25 points and five assists in Game 1 while knocking down seven threes. In a separate piece, Weiss explores how White’s shooting is crucial to unlocking the Celtics’ offense. “It’s important because it means usually the shots he takes are because we’re either out in transition, we’ve set really good screens and he has that [look], or there are two-on-ones and we’re making extra passes,” Mazzulla said. “So I think when those guys get more and more shots, it means we’re getting to the different layers of our offense which is important against a team like [Cleveland].”

Glen Davis Sentenced To 40 Months In Prison For Involvement In Fraud Scheme

May 9th, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA big man Glen Davis, who played for the Celtics, Magic, and Clippers across eight NBA seasons from 2007-15, has been sentenced by a federal judge to 40 months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to defraud the league’s health and welfare benefit plan, according to Alex Prewitt of ESPN.

Davis was one of 18 former NBA players originally charged back in 2021 over the fraud scheme, which involved submitting false claims for millions of dollars in dental and medical expenses that were never incurred.

According to Prewitt, Davis was found guilty of multiple fraud charges, as well as conspiring to make false statements, and was ordered to pay $80K in restitution. His sentence also includes three years’ supervised release following his time in prison — as part of his supervised release, he’ll be required to attend a financial management class and receive mandatory drug treatment.

Former NBA swingman Terrence Williams, the alleged ringleader of the operation, was sentenced to 10 years in prison last summer. Keyon Dooling (30 months), Alan Anderson (24 months), and Will Bynum (18 months) are among the other former players who have been sentenced to time in prison. Tony Allen, perhaps the most notable NBA veteran involved in the case, avoided prison and was sentenced to community service and supervision.

The 35th overall pick of the 2007 draft out of LSU, Davis spent his first four NBA seasons in Boston, earning Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year votes during that time and winning a championship as a rookie in 2008.

The 6’9″ forward/center, also known as “Big Baby,” was traded to Orlando in 2011 and spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Magic before concluding his NBA career with a season-and-a-half as a Clipper. He averaged 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game across 514 career regular season appearances.

According to Prewitt, some of Davis’ former coaches and multiple NBPA officials, including executive director Andre Iguodala, sent pre-sentencing documents to the court on the 38-year-old’s behalf, requesting leniency. Davis’ defense attorney Sabrina Shroff argued for a time-served sentence with requirements for “community service, mental health therapy, and treatment for a cannabis addiction,” Prewitt adds.

However, the judge opted for a harsher sentence, siding with the prosecution, which argued that Davis made a “sophisticated and intelligent effort” to cover up his misconduct. Davis had maintained his innocence throughout the legal process, per Prewitt.

Injury Notes: Porzingis, J. Allen, Murray, KCP, Jackson

May 9th, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on Zolak and Bertrand on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Tuesday, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla offered an encouraging update on the progress Kristaps Porzingis is making in his recovery from a calf strain, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com.

“It’s definitely better than we thought,” Mazzulla said. “I think one thing about KP is, I don’t know what his timetable is, but I know his mentality, and he really pushes himself to get back as quickly as he can. He does a great job working to take care of himself. He’s walking a little bit better, and every day he’s in there doing whatever it takes to try to get back as fast as he can. I appreciate that.”

Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter video link) said that “all early indications are super positive” on Porzingis’ recovery, adding that there’s “nothing but optimism” coming from the organization. The big man was on the court for the Celtics’ practice on Wednesday, notes Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link), though he was just doing stationary shooting and wasn’t moving around much.

Previous reporting indicated that the Celtics are hoping Porzingis will be able to return for the Eastern Conference Finals, assuming Boston makes it.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (right rib contusion) has been ruled out for a fifth straight game, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who confirms (via Twitter) that the big man will miss Game 2 on Thursday in Boston. As he did in Game 1, Isaac Okoro will once again start in Allen’s place.
The Nuggets are listing three players as questionable to play in a crucial Game 3 in Minnesota on Friday, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette: Jamal Murray (left calf strain), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (right abdominal contusion), and Reggie Jackson (left calf contusion). Murray has repeatedly been listed as questionable due to his calf issue and likely isn’t any danger of missing Friday’s game. However, Caldwell-Pope’s and Jackson’s injuries are new ones.
In case you missed it, the Knicks are listing OG Anunoby (hamstring) as out and Jalen Brunson (foot) as questionable for Friday’s Game 3 vs. Indiana. We have more details here.

Hornets Hire Charles Lee As Head Coach

May 9th, 2024 at 7:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have formally named Steve Clifford‘s successor, announcing in a press release that they’ve hired former Celtics assistant Charles Lee as their new head coach.

Lee will finish his playoff run in Boston before officially joining the Hornets, according to the announcement. Sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that Lee will sign a four-year contract with Charlotte.

“We are excited to welcome Charles Lee as the head coach of Charlotte Hornets,” Hornets head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said in a statement. “His high character and his ability to connect with players while also instilling a culture of accountability will serve us well as we construct a competitive team built for long-term success.

“Charles possesses a championship pedigree with a wide range of basketball knowledge and NBA experience, has a tremendous work ethic and is a great communicator. He shares our vision for this organization, and I look forward to partnering with him in building something special here in the Carolinas.”

Long viewed as the frontrunner in the Hornets’ head coaching search, Lee spent several years playing professionally in international leagues from 2006-10 before transitioning into coaching.

He was an assistant at Bucknell from 2012-14, then worked under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta from 2014-18 and in Milwaukee from 2018-23, winning a title with the Bucks in 2021. Following Budenholzer’s ouster last year, Lee was hired by the Celtics as Joe Mazzulla‘s lead assistant for the 2023/24 season.

Lee has been one of the NBA’s most popular head coaching candidates in recent years. He either interviewed with or received consideration from the Celtics, Pelicans, Magic, and Wizards in 2021; the Hornets, Lakers, Kings, and Jazz in 2022; and the Pistons, Bucks, Suns, and Raptors in 2023.

Lee has a preexisting relationship with Peterson, who worked in Atlanta’s front office when Lee was a Hawks assistant. Hornets co-owner Rick Schnall was a minority stakeholder in the Hawks at that time.

Charlotte had been in the market for a new head coach because Clifford announced in early April that he would be stepping down from his position. He’s reportedly expected to transition into a front office role following his second stint coaching the Hornets.

Lee will take over a Hornets team that is still very much in retooling mode, though there are some intriguing foundational pieces in place, led by forward Brandon Miller and guard LaMelo Ball. Miller finished third in Rookie of the Year voting this spring; Ball has battled ankle issues in recent years, but is a former Rookie of the Year who has an All-Star berth under his belt and is still just 22 years old.

The Hornets are the second team to complete a head coaching search since the regular season ended, joining the Nets (Jordi Fernandez). The Wizards and Lakers continue to seek new coaches.

Nikola Jokic Named Most Valuable Player

May 8th, 2024 at 6:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been selected as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the third time in four years, the league announced (via Twitter).

Jokic won the Michael Jordan Trophy by a wide margin, showing up on all 99 ballots and collecting 79 votes for first place, 18 for second place and two for third place, giving him a total of 926 points. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second, collecting 640 total points by coming in first on 15 ballots, second on 40, third on 40, fourth on three and fifth on one.

Rounding out the top five were Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (4-36-50-8-0-566), Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (1-1-4-44-23-192) and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (0-3-1-28-32-142).

Also receiving votes were Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0-0-1-14-39-89), Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (0-1-1-1-3-18), Kings center Domantas Sabonis (one fourth-place vote) and Suns forward Kevin Durant (one fifth-place vote).

Jokic becomes the ninth player to claim at least three MVP awards (Twitter link). He ties Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone, and trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan and Bill Russell (five each), and Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James (four each).

The Nuggets celebrated the honor by tweeting a video tribute to Jokic narrated by his wife, Natalija.

Jokic posted another outstanding statistical season, averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists in 79 games. He shot 58.3% from the field and 35.9% from three-point range as Denver claimed the second seed in the Western Conference.

Bennett Durando of The Denver Post took a closer look at Jokic’s historic season, noting that he finished fifth in the league in total points, third in total rebounds and second in total assists. He also collected 25 triple-doubles and posted a true shooting percentage above 65% for the third straight season while leading the NBA in most advanced stats, including PER, VORP, box plus-minus, and win shares.

“I think he’s stated his case pretty well,” Jamal Murray said today before the award was announced. “He does it every night. It’s hard to do what he does and face the kind of pressure that he does each and every day. He does it in the smallest ways. He makes everybody around us better. He’s a leader on the court and someone we expect greatness from every time he steps on the court. And he’s delivered. … He’s been so consistent all his career, all his MVP runs. He’s been so consistent. So I don’t expect one or two bad games to sway that in any way.”

Cavaliers Notes: Game 1, Strus, Allen, Wade

May 8th, 2024 at 5:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers seemed to use Game 1 to try to figure out how to handle the top-seeded Celtics for the rest of the series, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Cleveland was overwhelmed in the second half on Tuesday on the way to a 25-point loss, but Vardon writes that the players didn’t appear shaken by the defeat and are viewing it as a learning experience.

“I think you can see the formula of how to attack, how to put yourself and the group in proper positions to succeed,” Donovan Mitchell said. “I think you can figure some things out (after one game), but we’ve got to make some shots. They’re a high-volume team, a high-powered team.”

The main concern coming out of the opener is how to reduce the number of good shots Boston is getting from beyond the arc, Vardon adds. The Celtics pulled away by making 18 three-pointers, including seven by Derrick White and four from Jaylen Brown.

“We have to do a better job of limiting the amount of three-pointers that they took,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “That’s being in our spots as early as we can be, but doing a better job than we did tonight of reading the basketball.”

There’s more on the Cavaliers:

Most of Cleveland’s roster has never faced the Celtics in a playoff series, but this is the third year in a row for Max Strus, Vardon notes. Strus said that with Kristaps Porzingis injured, Boston’s current lineup is very similar to the team that Miami defeated in last year’s Eastern Conference finals.
Jarrett Allen continues to struggle with a rib injury that he suffered in Game 4 of the first-round series with Orlando. Allen missed the rest of that series and wasn’t able to play in Game 1 against Boston. “He hasn’t been feeling comfortable at all with that rib contusion,” Shams Charania said on Run It Back by FanDuel (video link). “… There hasn’t been much optimism that he was going to play last night, we’ll see in the games to come if there is.” Allen is “really uncomfortable,” according to Charania’s sources.
Dean Wade has already been ruled out for Thursday’s Game 2, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Wade has been sidelined since March 8 with a sprained right knee, but the Cavs are hopeful that he can return at some point during this series.