International Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Italy, Power Rankings, Markkanen, Tjarks

September 11th, 2022 at 7:24pm CST by JD Shaw

Italy defeated Serbia 94-86 in an upset win on Sunday, eliminating two-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic and his team from the EuroBasket, as relayed by EuroHoops. The Italian team, which will play its quarterfinal contest vs. France on Wednesday, was led by Nicolo Melli and Achille Polonara, both of whom had 21 points.

Jokic finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Serbia was a +11 points when he was on the court, but the team was outscored by 19 points in the 11 minutes he sat, according to Adam Mares of DNVR Sports (Twitter link).

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Marc Stein releases the first edition of his power rankings (Substack link) for the 2022/23 season. The Warriors and Bucks, the two most recent NBA champions, sit at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The Celtics, Nuggets, and Clippers round out Stein’s top five.
New Jazz big man Lauri Markkanen scored a Finnish national team record 43 points in the squad’s win over Croatia, as covered by Sportando. Markkanen also recorded nine rebounds, shooting 19-of-28 from the floor. Utah acquired him as part of a deal that sent away Donovan Mitchell this month.
Basketball analyst Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer has tragically passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. A GoFundMe has been set up for the Tjarks family that can be found here. We at Hoops Rumors extend our sincerest condolences to Tjarks’ friends and family.

EuroBasket Notes: L. Brown, Antetokounmpo, Doncic, Ukraine

September 11th, 2022 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

Former NBA point guard Lorenzo Brown is part of a controversy at the EuroBasket tournament, according to Eurohoops. Brown scored 28 points and handed out eight assists Saturday, leading Spain to an overtime win over Lithuania in an elimination game. At the post-game press conference, Lithuania’s Mindaugas Kuzminskas suggested the outcome would have been different if not for Brown, who was born in the United States but recently became a Spanish citizen.

“I am not sure how this team would look without Lorenzo Brown because you signed him only this summer,” Kuzminskas said to a Spanish reporter. “But it is how it is.”

Brown, 32, was a second-round pick in the 2013 draft and played for four teams in a five-year NBA career that ended after the 2018/19 season. He has been with several overseas teams since then and recently signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

“Even if I haven’t been here long, I feel like these guys … they have known each other so long and they brought me in as one of them,” Brown said in response to Kuzminskas’ comments. “So it’s just an amazing feeling to have that brotherhood, “la familia” as they call it. It’s really a family. I am coming in here and I am a regular American guy and those guys are talking in Spanish. And I am learning every single day, so it’s amazing what I have learned and how they treated me so far. The outside noise doesn’t bother me at all. I am just worried about what these guys feel about me. And it’s amazing. They love me and I love these guys.”

There’s more from EuroBasket:

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to take part in practice without any pain and is expected to play in today’s game against the Czech Republic, according to John Rammas of Eurohoops. Antetokounmpo suffered a mild ankle sprain in Thursday’s contest.
Although more than 30 NBA players are involved in this year’s tournament, Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic clearly stand above the rest, Slovenian forward Edo Muric told Rammas in a separate story. “They are both great players, they are next level. So if they want, they can score 50. In (Doncic’s 47-point) game against France, we played without our starting center, so Luka had to step up. That proves he is a very big player, beating France almost by himself, and Giannis is right there, too.”
Ukraine’s EuroBasket run ended today with a loss to Poland, but the team served as a source of pride for the war-torn nation, per The Associated Press. Players weren’t able to train in their own country in the wake of the Russian invasion, so they practiced wherever they could. “I hope it inspires and helps them a lot, just to get their thoughts off the war a little bit and just watch us play,” Svi Mykhailiuk said. “Obviously, today was not a great example of us playing, but this whole time, we did our best. I hope they enjoyed it. Obviously, it’s tough for everybody because all the guys’ families are still there and it’s tough having to be here. But I appreciate everyone being here. I appreciate everyone fighting.”

Team USA Will Play For Bronze At AmeriCup

September 10th, 2022 at 8:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The American team will be in the bronze medal game at the AmeriCup tournament after dropping an 82-73 decision to Argentina in today’s semifinals (story via The Associated Press). Team USA was the defending champion, defeating Argentina for the gold medal five years ago.

Gabriel Deck, who played briefly for the Thunder over the past two seasons, led the Argentinian team with 30 points. Deck was waived by Oklahoma City in January and signed a two-year deal with Real Madrid. Former Spur Nicolas Laprovittola had 18 points and Facundo Campazzo, who is seeking another NBA opportunity after spending the past two years with the Nuggets, added 10.

“For sure, a lot of credit to Argentina and (coach Pablo Prigioni). It’s a good team, veteran team, a lot of good players, a lot of different weapons and they did a great job in the end,” said Team USA head coach and Jazz assistant Alex Jensen. “We made our runs. They did a good job taking it up another notch and we lost our patience.”

Argentina will face either Brazil or Canada for the gold medal, with the loser squaring off with the Americans for the bronze.

Team USA’s roster in the 24-team tournament was made up of former NBA players, along with a few G Leaguers. Its leading scorer in today’s game was former Heat, Pelicans and Thunder guard Norris Cole, who finished with 18 points.

“This is a good learning experience for our team,” he said following the loss. “And we’ll learn from it.”

Central Notes: Giannis, Mamukelashvili, Bulls, Pacers

September 9th, 2022 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo exited Greece’s 90-69 win over Estonia on Thursday early due to what the Greek team is referring to as a “light” right ankle sprain, per John Rammas of Eurohoops. Although Antetokounmpo checked out in the third quarter and didn’t return, the injury isn’t viewed as serious.

According to an Associated Press report (via ESPN), Greece’s head coach, Dimitrios Itoudis, said after the game that the Bucks forward received ice and treatment. However, it doesn’t sound like Giannis’ availability for the upcoming single-elimination stage of EuroBasket is in jeopardy. “It’s all good,” Itoudis said.

Here’s more from around the Central Division:

Eric Nehm of The Athletic checks in on how the Bucks‘ international players have been performing at EuroBasket 2022. While Antetokounmpo has obviously excelled, Milwaukee is also presumably encouraged by the play of two-way forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, who averaged 15.2 PPG and 11.0 RPG in the group stage for Georgia.
Given that Lonzo Ball‘s lengthy injury absence last season hurt the Bulls on both ends of the court, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic wonders if the team is better built to withstand a Ball injury in 2022/23. A recent report indicated that Chicago’s starting point guard may not be ready for the start of the regular season due to a lingering knee issue.
The Pacers have hired Isaac Yacob as their head video coordinator, sources tell Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (subscription required). According to Agness, Yacob – who previously worked for the Kings – built a strong rapport with Tyrese Haliburton in Sacramento.
In case you missed it, we’re asking you to vote on the projected win totals of all five Central teams for the 2022/23 season.

Jordan Bell Signs With Guangzhou Loong Lions

September 7th, 2022 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Another NBA veteran has signed with the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reports (via Twitter) that big man Jordan Bell is joining the club.

Word broke earlier this week that point guard Jeremy Lin has also signed with Guangzhou.

The 38th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Bell has appeared in a total of 161 games for five NBA teams across five seasons, including 126 for the Warriors. He hasn’t been able to stick on an NBA roster in recent years, appearing in six games for the Wizards and Warriors in 2020/21 and just one game for the Bulls in ’21/22.

Bell holds career averages of 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game. His best season came as a rookie, when he appeared in 57 contests and averaged a career-high 14.2 MPG for the Warriors, who won a title that season.

This will be Bell’s first time playing overseas. When he hasn’t been in the NBA in recent years, the former Oregon standout has played in the G League, spending time with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Erie BayHawks, and Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He has also represented Team USA in some World Cup qualifying matches.

Eastern Notes: Antetokounmpo, Knicks, Mitchell, Bitadze, Korkmaz

September 5th, 2022 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Minor knee pain was enough for Greece’s national team to hold out Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo from its EuroBasket contest on Monday, Kirk Goldsberry of ESPN writes. He wasn’t needed, as Greece posted a 93-77 victory over Great Britain.

“He had discomfort in his knee but nothing major,” Greece head coach Dimitris Itoudis said.

Greece will enter the knockout phase of the tournament this weekend, though Antetokounmpo might return to action Tuesday against Ukraine.

We have more Eastern Conference info:

The Knicks made a series of mistakes and botched negotiations with the Jazz regarding a potential Donovan Mitchell trade, Alan Hahn opines in a Substack post. They potentially alienated some young players and essentially sent a message to RJ Barrett that he’s not destined for stardom despite giving him an extension. They also overestimated the value of protected draft picks and the package they offered for Mitchell before Utah completed a deal with the Cavaliers. It now calls into question the franchise’s overall strategy, Hahn adds.
Sixers wing and Turkish national team member Furkan Korkmaz was allegedly attacked by Georgia players after he was ejected from a EuroBasket contest. One of those alleged attackers was Pacers’ big man Goga Bitadze, sportscaster Ismal Senol tweets. Even if that’s true, there’s no precedent for the NBA to dole out punishment to a player for his actions in FIBA games, John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets. Nenad Krstic, Thon Maker and Nicolas Batum were not disciplined by the NBA for past incidents that occurred in FIBA tournaments, Hollinger notes.
In case you missed it, the Celtics are expected to apply for a disabled player exception due to Danilo Gallinari‘s knee injury. Get the info here.

Jared Harper Headed To Spain

September 5th, 2022 at 7:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agent guard Jared Harper has agreed to a contract with Valencia Basket in Spain, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets.

Harper signed a two-way contract with the Pelicans and appeared in five games last season, averaging 7.4 PPG and 2.8 APG in 8.6 MPG. He also averaged 17.5 PPG and 4.3 APG in four games with their Summer League team in July.

He made an All-NBA G League team in each of his last two seasons, averaging 21.2 PPG and 7.2 APG.

Harper, 24, went undrafted out of Auburn, then appeared in three games with Phoenix during the 2019/20 season. He also saw action in eight games with the Knicks during the 2020/21 season. The Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, acquired his G League rights from the Birmingham Squadron in late August.

International Notes: Doncic, Georgia, Turkey, Korkmaz, Lithuania Protest

September 5th, 2022 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The EuroBasket schedule could increase the potential for injuries, Mavericks franchise player Luka Doncic told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.net. “We’re going to play four games in five days,” Doncic said. “(Sunday), basically we had two games in 24 hours. Yes this should change for everybody. Everybody is doing the same. Everybody has less rest. It’s a problem because of injuries you know. More injuries can happen. Especially the (NBA) clubs wouldn’t be very glad.”

We have more international news:

FIBA has issued a statement (hat tip to Eurohoops.net) regarding the altercation between Georgia and Turkey players and delegation members, saying an investigation is underway. Both sides have made allegations and “the competent FIBA bodies will decide on any applicable disciplinary measures.” The Turkish delegation’s protest of the game due to a timekeeper error was dismissed. While the timing error was acknowledged, FIBA determined it didn’t affect the outcome.
Regarding those allegations, Sixers wing and Turkey’s Furkan Korkmaz stated that he was attacked by five people. Coach Ergin Ataman asked for extra security measures, while Turkish Basketball Federation vice president Omer Onan asked for sanctions toward Georgia, according to Eurohoops.net. Georgia’s basketball federation countered that there were “provocations” from the Turkish team.
FIBA also dismissed a protest by Lithuania in its loss to Germany, Eurohoops.net tweets. Lithuania claimed it wasn’t given a free throw after a technical foul was assessed to Team Germany in the third quarter. The protest was dismissed because it was not delivered within an hour after the game and “the reason presented” was not something that could be protested anyway.

Jeremy Lin Signs With Guangzhou Loong Lions

September 5th, 2022 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran free agent point guard Jeremy Lin has signed with the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to the team. Lin published an Instagram post confirming his new basketball home.

Lin, who turned 34 in August, hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2018/19 season, when he won a championship as a Raptors reserve. However, he has continued to play in China and the G League since then, suiting up for the Beijing Ducks in 2019/20 and ’21/22, and for the Santa Cruz Warriors in 2021.

Lin has seen action in a total of 480 regular season NBA games, averaging 11.6 PPG and 4.3 APG in 25.5 minutes per contest for the Warriors, Knicks, Rockets, Lakers, Hornets, Nets, Hawks, and Raptors. He’s best remembered for his “Linsanity” run with the Knicks during the post-lockout 2011/12 season.

Last season, Lin battled a bad case of COVID-19, spending three months in isolation and losing 20 pounds, according to Matt Eaton of the South China Morning Post. Lin said that the “mental and physical impact” of that experience took its toll, but it sounds like he’s ready to return to the court. The 2022/23 season will be the first time he has played for a non-Beijing CBA team since 2011, when he was a member of the Dongguan Leopards.

And-Ones: Korkmaz, Turkey, Popovich, France, Team USA

September 4th, 2022 at 5:41pm CST by JD Shaw

Sixers guard Furkan Korkmaz was attacked in the hallway of the locker room after being ejected in Turkey’s game against Georgia, the Turkish team alleged (link via Semih Tuna of EuroHoops). The Turkish federation vice president, Omer Onan, is now threatening that the team will leave the EuroBasket if proper action isn’t taken.

“While Furkan Korkmaz was walking in the hallway to the locker rooms with our trainer, Georgia’s players who were not in the active roster attacked him together with the ejected player [Duda Sanadze] and the police,” Onan explained in a lengthy statement. “There should not be an attack on the player that goes to the locker room. At the end of the match, 30 policemen each pushed us into a fight. We got into a fight with Georgia’s official police. I am calling out to FIBA and I have also told FIBA’s officials.

“Let no one deceive themselves or think that we are stupid. They will bring us all the camera footage from that corridor minute by minute without anything missing. If those cameras do not come to us, we will leave this tournament. Wherever you look it, there is nothing to hold onto. The non-competing player, (Toko) Shengelia, and three people sitting on the bench went to the locker room. At the end of the match, the police were in front of our locker room. Supposedly they were protecting us but they pushed us all the time. We were going to hit each other with our fists.”

It’s unclear what injuries — if any — Korkmaz sustained. The 25-year-old was drafted by Philadelphia with the No. 26 pick in 2016. He’s spent his entire career with the franchise so far, averaging 7.6 points in 67 games this past season.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Legendary Spurs coach Gregg Popovich believes the NBA and European basketball are becoming more similar, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes. While the quote has been condensed, Popovich did shine light on the matter. “Ten years ago, American basketball was mainly made up of threes and dunks, and with the arrival of basketball on European TV, I think everyone was very excited by this,” he said. “In Europe, on the contrary, basketball was played based on fundamentals, movement, a basketball where players move with the ball and without the ball. I think the two worlds have been apart for a while, but now we are getting closer.”
France managed to survive Hungary’s comeback and win on Sunday, as relayed by EuroHoops. The team was led by Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, plus played his usual stellar defense.
Team USA’s game against Venezuela on Sunday was postponed after rain leaked into the gym, according to The Associated Press. America was leading 48-21 at halftime when heavy rain caused multiple leaks and ended the contest early. The game was played in Brazil.