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Pacers Notes: Sumner, Sabonis, Turner, Practice

July 13th, 2020 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers guard Edmond Sumner has dealt with knee soreness since his final year in college, so the extended layoff has improved his health, Michael McCleary of the Indianapolis Star reports. “This is probably the best I’ve felt, especially (with my) knee,” said Sumner, who missed some early-season action with a broken hand. “The training staff say this is the best they’ve been treating my knee.” Sumner could see his role increase in Orlando if Victor Oladipo stands by his original decision to opt out of the league restart.

We have more from the Pacers:

  • The chemistry between big men Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner had improved just before the stoppage in play. Coach Nate McMillan is hopeful that they’ll quickly recapture that form in Orlando, Mark Monteith of the team’s website writes. “Those guys had adapted to what teams were doing,” McMillan said. “I started to get a feel for how to use the two bigs and the rotations to split them.”
  • Guard T.J. McConnell liked what he saw from the team during its first practice in Orlando on Sunday, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. “The pace was so good and guys were playing off each other,” McConnell said. “So it was like we never left. Now we just need to build off it.”
  • Oladipo is having second thoughts about sitting out in Orlando after participating fully in practices. Get the details here.
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Oladipo Reconsidering Decision Not To Play In Orlando

July 13th, 2020 at 6:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Don’t count out Victor Oladipo from playing again this season after all.

Early this month, Oladipo said he wouldn’t play at the Orlando campus. Now, the Pacers star guard is having second thoughts, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. After a couple of strong team practices in Orlando, Oladipo might decide to suit up.

Oladipo has participated fully in those practices, Eric Woodyard of ESPN tweets. “He’s been going hard,” coach Nate McMillan said. The practices have included 5-on-5 scrimmages with Oladipo on the court, Charania adds (Twitter link).

Concerns over reinjuring his quad during the restart led to the decision to sit out. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes in a tweet, Oladipo won’t be paid simply for participating in practices. Only players who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have a season-ending injury can get paid during the restart while sitting out.

Oladipo stands to lose approximately $2.7MM if he doesn’t play. He has a $21MM salary this season as well as next season before he becomes a free agent.

Oladipo, who suffered a torn quad tendon during the 2018/19 season, missed approximately a full calendar year, making his return for the Pacers on January 29. He averaged 13.8 PPG prior to the stoppage of play, including a season-high 27 points during Indiana’s last game.

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Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Seeding

July 10th, 2020 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

Although the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference will still be up for grabs when the NBA’s eight “seeding” games begin on July 30, that race has lost much of its luster as a result of the injuries, COVID-19 cases, and opt-outs that have decimated the Nets‘ and Wizards‘ rosters.

Technically, the Magic (30-35) are the No. 8 seed at the moment, but they’re just a half-game back of Brooklyn (30-34) for the No. 7 spot and seem likely to pass a Nets team that will be without at least seven players, including Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, and DeAndre Jordan.

That would leave the Nets to hang onto the No. 8 seed by holding off the Wizards (24-40), who will be missing Bradley Beal, Davis Bertans, and John Wall, but could force a play-in tournament if they finish within four games of Orlando or Brooklyn. Washington is also currently without Thomas Bryant (coronavirus), Gary Payton II (coronavirus), and Garrison Mathews (personal), though some or all of those players may eventually rejoin the team.

While that race for the seventh and eighth seeds may not be quite as dramatic as the NBA would like, there could still be some interesting jockeying for position further up the standings in the East.

The 53-12 Bucks have a 6.5-game cushion over the 46-18 Raptors, so Milwaukee will likely clinch the top seed even if they’re on cruise control during the seeding games. But Toronto’s lead on the third-seeded Celtics (43-21) is just three games, and Boston’s eight-game schedule looks less daunting than the Raptors’ slate.

Five of the Celtics’ eight games are against the Nets, Wizards, Magic, Grizzlies, and Trail Blazers, all of whom are at or near the bottom of the playoff race. The Raptors, meanwhile, will face Orlando and Memphis, but also have games against the Lakers, Heat, Nuggets, Sixers, and Bucks. The Celtics and Raptors face each other as well, in a game that will have important tiebreaker implications.

That No. 2 seed isn’t as important as it once was, given the lack of home court advantage available, but it could mean facing the Magic instead of the Pacers, which should be a more favorable matchup even with Victor Oladipo sidelined.

Speaking of the Pacers, they’re currently tied at 39-26 with the Sixers, with the No. 5 seed up for grabs. Clinching that fifth seed would likely mean securing a first-round matchup with the fourth-seeded Heat instead of the Celtics or Raptors.

The Heat, meanwhile, are 41-24, putting them two games behind Boston and two games ahead of the Sixers and Pacers. They seem like a relatively safe bet to hold their position in the No. 4 vs. 5 matchup, but a hot or cold streak in Orlando could affect their spot in the standings, especially with games vs. Boston, Toronto, and Indiana (twice) on tap.

What do you think? What do you expect the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference to look like by the time the playoffs begin? Will they look relatively similar to the current standings, or will there be some shuffling that results in some unexpected first-round matchups?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

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Heat Viewed As Threat For Oladipo In 2021?

July 10th, 2020 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo isn’t set to reach free agency until the 2021 offseason, but now that he has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2019/20 season, he’ll likely be entering a contract year the next time we see him on the court. As a result, there has been increased speculation as of late about his long-term future.

As J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star details, that speculation only figures to increase following Oladipo’s decision to sit out the NBA restart. Although Oladipo is considered to be sidelined for injury reasons, meaning he won’t forfeit his remaining salary, the two-time All-Star made the decision and announced it himself without giving the Pacers a heads-up.

As Michael notes, the Pacers consider themselves a player-friendly organization and have given Oladipo the leeway to make such decisions — he also announced his return date from his torn quad tendon in January. On top of that, Michael points out that Oladipo was always expected to test the free agent market in 2021 rather than signing an early extension with Indiana, since that will give him the opportunity to maximize his earnings.

A pair of league sources tell The Indianapolis Star that Oladipo will be prioritizing two things in free agency: The most money possible and the chance to compete for championships. The Pacers, who will hold Oladipo’s Bird rights, will be in position to offer him more money and more years than any rival suitor, so if he feels good about the club’s chances to make deep postseason runs, Indiana should be in the driver’s seat to re-sign him.

Still, Oladipo may consider other options. If he does, Michael suggests that the Knicks aren’t the most logical landing spot, despite the presence of Oladipo’s former agent Leon Rose in the front office. According to Michael, the “strongest preliminary indication” is that the Heat would be the biggest threat to sign Oladipo.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the Heat linked to Oladipo. Miami is expected to have cap room available in 2021 and president Pat Riley intends to go star-hunting. Giannis Antetokounmpo has frequently been cited as the team’s No. 1 target, but if Giannis re-ups with the Bucks, Oladipo could emerge as Miami’s top priority. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported last month that the Heat have “made it known” they intend to pursue both Antetokounmpo and Oladipo in 2021, if possible.

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald details, there would be a number of cap obstacles to overcome if the Heat try to land both players, particularly given the uncertain impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the salary cap going forward. But as we saw when they acquired Jimmy Butler last summer, the Heat have shown a willingness to get creative with sign-and-trades to a acquire a maximum-salary player even when they don’t have the cap room to sign him outright.

We’re still a year away from Oladipo reaching the open market, and plenty could happen between now and then to shift the outlook of his free agency — he’ll need to look like his old self in 2020/21 to even be assured of maximum-salary offers, for instance. For now though, based on Michael’s report and others, it sounds like the Pacers are preparing to have to ward off the Heat to retain their 28-year-old star.

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Brogdon Feeling Good; Examining Pacers' Rotation

July 8th, 2020 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon tested positive for the coronavirus when the NBA’s mandatory testing program began in June, but announced today (via Twitter) that he’s “feeling well” and is “ready for Orlando.”

The Pacers are one of eight teams scheduled to travel to the Walt Disney World campus on Thursday, and with Brogdon’s quarantine period now over, there’s hope that he’ll be able to accompany the team on that trip. According to Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports (Twitter link), Brogdon has to return another negative COVID-19 test before getting the go-ahead to travel with the Pacers to Orlando.

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Pacers Notes: Turner, Oladipo, Stephenson, Roster

July 4th, 2020 at 6:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

Myles Turner is relieved to be able to focus on basketball again after his family’s experience with COVID-19, writes Mark Montieth of NBA.com. Turner’s father had to be quarantined in a bedroom for 10 days after contracting the virus, which made the Pacers center reluctant to support restarting the season.

“I saw it firsthand and how it affected my family and I couldn’t imagine how it’s affected other families,” Turner said Friday in a media session on Zoom. “I definitely wasn’t a big proponent of playing at first. I still have questions now, but most of the questions have been answered.”

Turner changed his mind about the restart after hearing the NBA’s plan to protect the players on the Walt Disney World campus. He turned in some of his best performances of the season just before the hiatus and will be vital to Indiana’s chances of advancing in the playoffs. Turner averaged 15.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.7 blocks in the Pacers’ last three games and seems to have figured out how to be effective alongside fellow big man Domantas Sabonis.

“This is what I do for a living,” Turner said. “It gives me my escape at a time like this. I’m trying to win a championship as well. From that standpoint, I’m all in.”

There’s more from Indiana:

  • The Pacers don’t plan to make a roster move even though Victor Oladipo won’t be available in Orlando, tweets J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. Oladipo will travel with the team to Disney World, so Indiana would have to waive someone else to create a roster opening. Michael adds that the Pacers are focused on “getting out of this in one piece,” rather than making a playoff run.
  • Former Pacer Lance Stephenson won’t be an option if the team decides to add a player, according to Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports (Twitter link). Agness reports that Stephenson was close to signing with the Pacers on the morning the hiatus began because of injuries to Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb. However, a source confirms Stephenson is ineligible to join the team in Orlando.
  • All 17 players who were on the roster when the hiatus began will travel to Disney World, Montieth writes in a separate story. That includes two-way players Brian Bowen and Naz Mitrou-Long. “Having all 17 players may be the most important thing, only because it gives them a chance to spend time together and create some bonds that could trickle over into next year,” said president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard. “And we’re looking at programming things we can do together to stimulate that.”
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Fallout From Oladipo's Opt-Out

July 3rd, 2020 at 8:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
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Victor Oladipo To Opt Out Of NBA Restart

July 3rd, 2020 at 4:33pm CST by Luke Adams

4:33pm: Oladipo plans to accompany the Pacers to Orlando, a league source tells Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports (Twitter link).

Because Oladipo is traveling with the team, Indiana won’t be allowed to replace him and he won’t forfeit any salary, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. In other words, Oladipo will essentially be treated as an injured player rather than one who is voluntarily opting out.

2:50pm: Pacers star Victor Oladipo has decided he won’t participate in the NBA’s restart in Orlando this summer, he tells Shams Charania of The Athletic.

“I really want to play, and as a competitor and teammate this is tearing me apart,” Oladipo told Charania. “I feel like I’m at a great place in my rehab and getting closer and closer to 100 percent. With all the variables, from how I have to build my 5-on-5 workload back up, to the increased risk of a soft tissue injury which could delay my rehab, and the unknown exact set up of the bubble I just can’t get my mind to being fully comfortable in playing.

“I have to be smart and this decision hasn’t been easy, but I truly believe continuing on the course I’m on and getting fully healthy for the 2020/21 season is the right decision for me.”

Oladipo, who suffered a torn quad tendon during the 2018/19 season, missed approximately a full calendar year, making his return for the Pacers on January 29. His play was somewhat inconsistent leading up to the suspension of the NBA season, and he missed five games during that stretch, but he had his best performance in Indiana’s final game before the hiatus, pouring in 27 points against Boston on March 10.

Oladipo’s trainer, Luke Miller, tells Charania that the two-time All-Star hasn’t had a setback and is “in the best shape he’s ever been in.” However, Oladipo and Miller were concerned about the possibility of the Pacers guard suffering an injury in Orlando, given the truncated ramp-up period to the eight seeding games and the playoffs.

“It’s not worrisome, the quad tendon itself — it’s the other soft tissues around it,” Miller told Charania. “Research shows that within about two years, coming back from a major injury and major surgery, these guys are more susceptible to an injury because of quad deficit. It’s a lot to ask Vic to come back in three weeks from five-on-five and play in playoff games.”

The Pacers – who are 39-26 and rank fifth in the Eastern Conference – are unlikely to make a deep playoff run this summer without Oladipo active. The team is also missing Jeremy Lamb (torn ACL), and Malcolm Brogdon recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Still, Indiana has the 28-year-old under contract for at least one more year, and there have been some indications that the two sides have interest in a longer-term deal. He’ll be eligible for a contract extension this fall, or could get a longer, more lucrative contract as a free agent in 2021.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Lou Williams Expected To Play In Restart; Beal Still Undecided

July 2nd, 2020 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

Seven players so far have opted out of the NBA’s restart this summer, but Clippers guard Lou Williams is unlikely to join that group. Despite previously expressing uncertainty about his status, Williams is expected to suit up for the Clippers as they pursue a title at Walt Disney World, head coach Doc Rivers said on Wednesday.

“As far as Lou, all indications (are) that yes, he is (playing),” Rivers said on a Zoom call, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. “Obviously, up until we get on the plane, anything can happen. But I do expect Lou to be with us. I would be very surprised if he’s not.”

Meanwhile, another high-scoring guard, Bradley Beal, remains uncertain about his status for Orlando, as Youngmisuk writes in a separate story. Beal’s teammate Davis Bertans has already pulled out due to injury concerns ahead of his upcoming free agency. Beal’s backcourt mate and fellow All-Star John Wall won’t be in attendance either, as he continues to focus on his Achilles rehab and a 2020/21 return.

According to Youngmisuk, Beal is considering health factors too as he weighs his options.

“I have yet to make (my decision),” Beal told reporters on Wednesday. “I am still working my tail off every single day as if I am playing. It is more or less a decision that will come down to the medical staff and coming back from zero to 100, and then I have some nagging stuff from the end of the year that we are trying to clean up, too. We are looking at it from all angles. I am definitely working out every single day here. It is good to be back in the facility. … I am not swayed one way or another.”

Here’s more on certain players’ participation decisions:

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Victor Oladipo Remains Undecided About Playing

July 1st, 2020 at 11:13am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo remains undecided whether he’ll play in Orlando, but he’ll be included on the team’s travel party list, according to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.

Oladipo, who spoke with the media via Zoom on Wednesday morning, has some concerns about suffering an injury setback. Oladipo endured a long-term rehab for his surgically repaired quad tendon and returned to action in late January.

He appeared in 13 games before play was halted, averaging 13.8 PPG in 25.9 MPG. He scored a season-high 27 points in 29 minutes against Boston in Indiana’s last game on March 10.

“At the end of the day, it takes time for your body to heal,” he said. “They’re sure I feel better, but at the same time we’ve had an extensive period of time off and to go back and ramp things up again, I’m susceptible to injury more so than anyone else, seeing as how I was already injured beforehand and I wasn’t 100 percent when I came back to begin with.”

Oladipo went on to elaborate about his injury risk. He’ll be playing on an expiring contract next season, when he makes $21MM. Indiana enters the Orlando bubble with the Eastern Conference’s fifth-best record at 39-26.

“A part of rehab is working your way back and getting yourself to 100 percent, so at the end of the day going back and turning things up as quickly as we’re about to do, and pretty much going to playoff formation and playoff games after eight (seeding) games, I’m more susceptible to injury than anyone else is,” he said. “So, it’s not about now, it’s about longevity.”

The Pacers have resumed mandatory individual workouts at the St. Vincent Center in Indianapolis, Woodyard notes, but are giving Oladipo space and time to make up his mind.

“I don’t have a deadline,” he said.

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