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East Finals Roundup: LeBron, Tatum, J. Green

May 28th, 2018 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

While LeBron James‘ upcoming free agency will be the biggest storyline of the NBA offseason, James himself has avoided discussing his future all season long, and the Cavaliers – including owner Dan Gilbert – are following suit. After the Cavs’ Game 7 win over the Celtics on Sunday night, Gilbert told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that the organization is completely locked in on its next series, not on the summer.

“We’re just focused – and it’s the truth, it’s not avoiding the question – we’re literally focused on (the now),” Gilbert said. “It’s just so intense in the playoffs and getting to the Finals and now the Finals, I don’t think – and I know he doesn’t – I don’t think even our guys are talking (about anything other than) what’s in front of them. … So, everybody knows, obviously what we want to happen and we’ll take the Finals first and take it from there.”

While the Cavaliers will head into the Finals as the underdogs, pulling off the upset could have a major impact on the club’s upcoming offseason plans — it would be hard for James to leave Cleveland right after leading the Cavs to another championship.

Here are a few more items worth rounding up from the Eastern Conference Finals:

  • Jayson Tatum couldn’t lead the Celtics to the NBA Finals, but he received plenty of praise from James as his impressive rookie season came to an end, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN. “I just love everything about (Tatum), the way he plays the game, his demeanor, where he comes from,” James said. “I just know he’s built for stardom. He’s built for success. And that’s both on and off the floor.”
  • James was also complimentary of the Cavaliers teammates who are headed to the Finals despite hearing for weeks that they weren’t doing enough to help LeBron. “I know I get a lot of the headlines – win, lose or draw, whatever the case may be – but in order to be successful, it’s a team game,” James told ESPN’s Doris Burke after the Game 7 win (link via Andrew Joseph of USA Today). “That’s why we’re going to another Finals — because my teammates played a hell of a game.”
  • One of those teammates, Jeff Green, spoke after the game about not taking anything for granted after undergoing open-heart surgery in 2012. Jeff Zilgitt and AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today have the story on Green, who was the Cavaliers‘ second-best player in Game 7.
  • Their disappointing Game 7 performances will likely haunt Celtics youngsters Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown for a while, but that may not be the worst thing in the world, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston, who writes that this year’s loss can be a learning experience for Rozier and Brown as they continue to develop.
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Cavs Notes: James, Love, Green

May 27th, 2018 at 1:44pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Cavaliers are set to face the Celtics in Boston tonight in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, setting the stage for the victor to advance to the NBA Finals. This is not unfamiliar territory for LeBron James, who has almost single-handedly willed the Cavaliers to this juncture, looking to advance to his eighth straight NBA Finals.

As both teams prepare for tipoff, this scenario is eerily similar to one James encountered eight years ago when the Cavaliers traveled to Boston for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press writes. James posted a triple-double in a losing effort and then weeks later, made the decision to leave Cleveland in free agency. A lot has been made of James’ upcoming free agency and whether or not he bolts this summer, but his teammates feel another trip to the NBA Finals is possible.

“There’s something different about LeBron, period,” Larry Nance Jr. said. “I think (coach Tyronn Lue) said it best: ‘We’re going into a Game 7 with the baddest dude on the planet on our team.’ I like our chances.”

Check out more Cavaliers notes below:

  • James’ return to Cleveland ahead of the 2014/15 NBA season has been nothing short of success. He helped guide the organization to its first NBA title in 2016 and with a win tonight, the Cavaliers will have made the NBA Finals in every season since his comeback. Jerry Bembry of The Undefeated breaks down the implications of James’ potential departure from Cleveland and his legacy, regardless of tonight’s outcome.
  • Kevin Love, who is currently in the NBA’s concussion protocol, will not play in today’s decisive Game 7. However, that does not necessarily give an advantage to the Celtics, A. Sherrod Blakley of NBC Sports Boston writes. The absence of Love likely means a heavier dose of James, Nance, and Jeff Green on Al Horford, who did a fine job defending him in Game 6.
  • Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue confirmed that Green will start in place of Love, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. “I think he attacked the small guys, the switches, and took his time, did a good job attacking, rebounded the ball well,” Lue said of Green’s Game 6 effort. “I just think defensively being able to switch and guard multiple positions, that’s huge for us. 
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Community Shootaround: Game 7 Prediction

May 26th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

It seems like Boston has fielded two teams in the postseason. There are the Home Celtics, who have been unbeatable, and the Away Celtics, who can’t beat hardly anyone.

Fortunately for Boston fans, it’s the Home Celtics who will be playing the Cavaliers tomorrow for a spot in the NBA Finals. Boston is 10-0 at the TD Garden during the postseason, but just 1-7 on the road. The Celtics have an offensive rating of 107.7 in their home games, about 10 points higher than away from home.

“I truly believe it’s our fans,” Al Horford explained to Jack McCluskey of The Ringer. “I feel like our guys feed off of them and it really just drives us as a group. … You get on the road and you’re just out there against everybody else. Here, I just think that our guys just feel comfortable and good. It’s a credit to the atmosphere that’s here.”

On the other side is LeBron James, who has been brilliant no matter where he has played. James is averaging close to a triple double with 33.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.8 assists in 17 playoff contests and kept Cleveland alive with a 46/11/9 performance in Friday’s Game 6.

The Cavs will be short-handed for tomorrow’s game with Kevin Love already ruled out because of a concussion. Love has been one of the few reliable scorers alongside James, averaging 13.9 points per game in the postseason.

The edge in playoff experience easily goes to the Cavs, who have been to three straight Finals [eight straight for LeBron], while the Celtics field a young roster with few players who have ever experienced this level of postseason pressure.

There are many things that could decide Game 7, but we want to get your take. Who pulls out what James called one of the best two-word phrases in sports and represents the East in the NBA Finals? Please leave your responses in the comments section below.

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Eastern Finals Notes: Tatum, Horford, James, Love

May 26th, 2018 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cleveland will have to play Game 7 without Kevin Love, but Boston’s Jayson Tatum came away from Friday night’s collision relatively unscathed. Coach Brad Stevens told reporters that doctors checked on Tatum today and said he’s in “great” condition, tweets ESPN’s Chris Forsberg. Tatum will continue to be monitored up to tomorrow’s game, but right now the team isn’t worried about his availability.

Tatum was defending Love when they bumped heads in the first quarter and said it took him a while to shake off the effects, relays A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston.

“They asked me if I was dizzy, if I had a headache,” said Tatum, who underwent concussion testing on the sidelines. “I’m fine.”

There’s more on the eve of Game 7:

  • Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson, who barely played when the postseason began, has helped turn the series around with his defense on Al Horford, notes Adam Himmeslbach of The Boston Globe. Cleveland is outscoring Boston by 3.2 points per 100 possessions when they are on the court together, but the Celtics have a 19.2 edge when Horford plays without Thompson. Boston’s big man was visibly frustrated after Friday’s game, which included a healthy dose of double teaming. “If you were watching the game, I was getting doubled as soon as I caught the ball,” Horford said to reporters. “Every time, I didn’t really have one-on-one position. So they did a good job of really doubling me and making it hard.”
  • As bad as the Love injury news was for Cavaliers fans, things could have been worse, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Larry Nance Jr. collided with LeBron James during the fourth quarter on a play that reminded McMenamin of an incident that caused Kevin Durant to miss a significant part of last season. “I just felt someone fall into my leg, and my leg kind of went in,” said James, who was limping when he left the arena. “I felt some pain throughout my entire right side of my ankle into my leg. I was just hoping for the best, obviously, because I’ve seen so many different injuries, and watching basketball with that type of injury, someone fall into one’s leg standing straight up. Luckily, I was able to finish the game.”
  • Love’s injury means James will likely have to improve on his already-superhuman effort, writes Justin Verrier of The Ringer. Love is averaging 13.9 points and 10.0 rebounds in the postseason, but he hasn’t been especially effective against the Celtics, Verrier notes. He has a minus-7.4 net rating in the series, worst on the team other than Rodney Hood.
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Kevin Love Placed In Concussion Protocol; Out For Game 7

May 26th, 2018 at 12:57pm CST by marksuleymanov

MAY 26, 12:57pm: Vardon has now tweeted that Love has been ruled out for Game 7.

MAY 26, 12:53pm: Love was placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol today and his status for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals tomorrow night is uncertain, reports Joe Vardon of The Plain Dealer.

Vardon adds that Love will travel to Boston, but will have to pass a series of tests before being cleared to play.

MAY 25, 9:15pm: Kevin Love left Game 6 of the Cavaliers‘ Eastern Conference Finals matchup against Celtics on Friday after a collision with forward Jayson Tatum.

The injury occurred about five minutes into the first quarter after Tatum’s shoulder struck Love in the head. Love remained on the floor for several minutes before being helped to the bench and later evaluated in the locker room. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game for precautionary reasons. Love grabbed four rebounds before exiting due to injury.

Love’s status for Game 7 on Sunday remains unclear as a source tells ESPN that his prognosis will depend on him getting rest. There is cause for concern as Love has a documented history of concussions. The Cavaliers All-Star left a March 28 contest against the Hornets after an errant elbow knocked a tooth loose and caused him to feel concussion-like symptoms. Love also suffered a concussion during Game 2 of the 2016 NBA Finals.

While he has struggled at times, Love is still a vital piece to the Cavaliers’ lineup. In the postseason, he has averaged 14.8 PPG and 10.4 RPG for the club.

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Details On 2018 NBA Playoff Pool Money

May 25th, 2018 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s playoff pool money has increased to $20MM this season, up from $15MM for the last two years and $14MM for the two years before that, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. This pool represents money awarded to teams for certain achievements, which is then divvied up among the club’s players.

According to Zillgitt, the breakdown for 2018’s playoff pool money is as follows:

Regular season achievements:

  • Best record in NBA (Rockets): $576,843
  • No. 1 seeds in each conference (Rockets, Raptors): $504,737 each
  • No. 2 seeds (Warriors, Celtics): $405,684 each
  • No. 3 seeds (Trail Blazers, Sixers): $302,843 each
  • No. 4 seeds (Thunder, Cavaliers): $238,001 each
  • No. 5 seeds (Jazz, Pacers): $198,317 each
  • No. 6 seeds (Pelicans, Heat): $135,263 each

Postseason achievements:

  • Teams participating in first round (all playoff teams): $298,485 each
  • Teams participating in Conference Semifinals (Rockets, Warriors, Jazz, Pelicans, Celtics, Cavaliers, Sixers, Raptors): $355,159 each
  • Teams participating in Conference Finals (Rockets, Warriors, Celtics, Cavaliers): $586,898 each
  • Losing team in NBA Finals (TBD): $2,346,947
  • Winning team in NBA Finals (TBD): $3,541,896
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NBA Announces 2017/18 All-NBA Teams

May 24th, 2018 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has formally announced the All-NBA First, Second, and Third Teams for the 2017/18 season, with James Harden and LeBron James leading the way as the two unanimous selections for the First Team.

The voting results will have major financial implications for the three All-NBA centers, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, and Karl-Anthony Towns. As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), Davis is now eligible for a supermax extension from the Pelicans next summer. Davis will be eligible to sign that deal, which projects to be worth $230MM, as of July 1, 2019.

As for Embiid, missing out on a First Team nod means his maximum-salary contract will remain at 25% of the cap rather than being bumped up to 30%. That means he’ll miss out on approximately $29MM over the next five years, as Dan Feldman of NBC Sports details.

Towns, meanwhile, will be eligible for an extension worth 30% of the cap this summer, Marks tweets. An extension of that sort, which would make the cap outlook in Minnesota very interesting, would go into effect for the 2019/20 season.

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 Harden and James scored a perfect 500 — First Team nods from all 100 voters.

First Team

  • Guard: James Harden, Rockets (500)
  • Guard: Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers (432)
  • Forward: LeBron James, Cavaliers (500)
  • Forward: Kevin Durant, Warriors (426)
  • Center: Anthony Davis, Pelicans (492)

Second Team

Third Team

Among those results, the tightest race saw DeRozan edge Curry by a single point for a spot on the All-NBA Second Team. Both players received two First Team votes and 39 Second Team votes, with DeRozan grabbing one extra Third Team vote (38 to 37) to bump him up to the Second Team ahead of Curry.

As for the players who didn’t quite make the cut, Rockets point guard Chris Paul (54 points), Jazz center Rudy Gobert (51), Celtics guard Kyrie Irving (42), and Sixers guard/forward Ben Simmons (36) received the most support.

Al Horford (Celtics), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Andre Drummond (Pistons), Clint Capela (Rockets), Draymond Green (Warriors), Kyle Lowry (Raptors), Steven Adams (Thunder), Donovan Mitchell (Jazz), Klay Thompson (Warriors), Trevor Ariza (Rockets), DeMarcus Cousins (Pelicans), Dwight Howard (Hornets), Kevin Love (Cavaliers), and Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) also each received at least one All-NBA vote.

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Draft Workouts: Grizzlies, Delgado, Huerter, Alkins

May 24th, 2018 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

While the Grizzlies hold the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, the group of prospects working out for the team on Thursday won’t be candidates to come off the board that early. Memphis also holds the No. 32 selection, so today’s workout participants will vie to receive consideration at that spot. According to a team release, Braian Angola (Florida State), Justin Bibbs (Virginia Tech), Chris Chiozza (Florida), Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech), Admiral Schofield (Tennessee), and Jonathan Stark (Murray State) are getting a look today from the Grizzlies.

Here’s more pre-draft workout news:

  • Seton Hall big man Angel Delgado and Maryland guard Kevin Huerter each have workouts on tap with the Lakers and then the Jazz, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter links).
  • In addition to his previously reported workouts, Arizona guard Rawle Alkins has an audition with the Suns scheduled for next week, according to Zagoria, who adds that Alkins will also have a Pro Day next Thursday.
  • Zagoria provides another workout update, tweeting that Miami’s Dewan Huell has auditioned for the Thunder, Cavaliers, Bucks, Hawks, and Grizzlies so far. Huell, who is testing the waters without an agent, remains undecided about whether or not to stay in the draft.
  • After working out for Washington this week, Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham will work out for the Suns, Hawks, Rockets, Grizzlies, and about six or seven teams after that, he tells Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).
  • Xavier’s J.P. Macura, who has a workout lined up with the Spurs, met with the Bucks, Clippers, Magic, and Pacers at this week’s Pro Basketball Combine, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
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Dan Gilbert Profiting Off Cavs' Playoff Run

May 23rd, 2018 at 8:28pm CST by clarkcrum
  • One silver lining of the Cavaliers’ relative struggles this postseason is more profit for owner Dan Gilbert, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. The Cavs have already played eight home games this postseason, matching their total from all of last year’s playoffs. Home playoff games can net a team upwards of $3MM per contest.
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Poll: 2018 NBA Finals Matchup

May 23rd, 2018 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers faced a significant uphill battle in the Eastern Conference Finals after falling behind 2-0, and the Rockets looked to be on life support in the Western Conference Finals after being blown out in Golden State in Game 3. However, after Houston’s dramatic win on Tuesday night, both series are all tied at two games apiece, guaranteeing we’ll get a couple Game Sixes, and perhaps even a Game Seven or two.

With both Conference Finals having essentially become best-of-three series, the next several days should be fascinating. Coming into the third round, a Warriors/Cavaliers rematch in the Finals was widely expected, and oddsmakers are still forecasting that outcome. Sports betting site Bovada.lv currently lists both Golden State and Cleveland as 2-to-1 favorites.

Still, despite being favored, neither the Warriors nor the Cavs has home court advantage, which could be an important factor. Historically, in best-of-seven series that are tied after four games, the team with the home court edge wins 80% of the time, per Dan Feldman of NBC Sports (Twitter link).

The Rockets and Celtics have been particularly effective at home this year. No team posted a better regular-season home record than Houston’s 34-7 mark, and the Rockets are 6-2 in the postseason at the Toyota Center. As for the Celtics, they’ve yet to lose in Boston during the playoffs, reeling off nine straight home wins.

What do you think? Will either the Rockets or Celtics prevent a fourth straight Warriors/Cavaliers showdown in the 2018 NBA Finals? Which two teams do you expect to continue playing into June?

Vote in our poll, then jump into the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on the Conference Finals!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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