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Knicks Notes: Thibodeau, Randle, Robinson, Fournier

April 11th, 2022 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

In a rare media appearance, Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose spoke to MSG Network’s Mike Breen over the weekend about the state of the franchise, head coach Tom Thibodeau, and forward Julius Randle, among other topics. Rose acknowledged it was a “disappointing” season in New York, but expressed confidence that the team’s long-term plan is on track.

“Absolutely. We have to stick to the plan,” he said, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “We have to build one block at a time, be patient. We feel like we’re set up, you know, really well as far as like, we’ve got 13 draft picks over the next three drafts, four first-round picks. With regard to opportunities that may come along, we’re very flexible. We want to show patience, we want to show prudence in making those decisions and continuing to develop what we have.”

Rose said the Knicks fell short of their goal of being a playoff team, but added that he saw some positive signs from the club during the season’s home stretch. Following a seven-game losing streak that began in February and ended in March, New York went 12-7 the rest of the way and got solid production from a handful of young players.

“Jericho (Sims) going against starting centers, the 58th pick in the draft,” Rose said, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “Obi (Toppin), the last week or so has just taken it to another level, scoring a career-high the last game. Quentin (Grimes), who had already established himself in the rotation. (Miles McBride) getting minutes and doing a good job with it. (Immanuel Quickley) playing point guard and showing some signs.

“And RJ (Barrett) is only 21 years old. We have nine players on our team who are 24 years old or younger and Julius is only 27, so … we look at that like development is key. And just in this part of the season, we’ve seen some good development and just need to work and continue on and build on that.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Rose said that Randle “loves it here in New York (and) wants to be in New York,” according to Begley. The Knicks’ president also praised the job Thibodeau did in a challenging season. “I mean, again, he’s one of the best coaches in the NBA,” Rose said, per Popper. “So obviously none of us are happy with the results this year. But he’s a guy who prepares our team better than anybody. I feel that he’s done a good job under the circumstances.”
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Rose was “dead-set” against letting Thibodeau go during the season when at least two members of the front office recommended making a coaching change. Berman also hears from a source that some Knicks executives and players didn’t love the fact that the coaching staff didn’t hold Randle more accountable for his “miscues” throughout the season.
Randle and Toppin have talked about the possibility of playing together in small-ball lineups next season, as Peter Botte of The New York Post relays. “There are so many different things we can do when we’re both on the court,” Toppin said. “But we’ve definitely talked about it and hopefully we’re both back here next year and we can see that. I feel like we can definitely do some damage in the league if we’re on the court together.”
Although he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, Mitchell Robinson remains eligible to sign an extension with the Knicks up until June 30 and Rose hasn’t ruled out that possibility, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. “With Mitchell, there has been ongoing discussions throughout the year with his agent,” Rose told Breen. “And those discussions will continue, will continue for the remainder of the time until free agency.” The Knicks are limited to offering Robinson about $55.6MM over four years on an extension — they could go higher in free agency.
Knicks swingman Evan Fournier intends to represent France in this September’s EuroBasket tournament, tweets Katz.

And-Ones: Holman, Crawford, Messina, Terry, Tanking Standouts

April 10th, 2022 at 8:16pm CST by JD Shaw

Free agents Aric Holman and Jordan Crawford have signed in Puerto Rico with Gigantes de Carolina, the club announced on social media (Facebook links). The duo joins a team that already features former NBA players Tremont Waters and Thomas Robinson.

Holman, a 6’9″ big man, played 38 games with the Spurs’ G League affiliate this season. He averaged 11.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game, shooting 38% from the floor. He also signed a 10-day contract with the Heat back in December.

Crawford, a 6’5″ guard, has played 281 NBA games with five teams. He spent time with the Nets’ G League affiliate this season, averaging 14.4 points on 37% shooting from the floor. He was also the No. 27 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

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

Ettore Messina has agreed to a two-year contract extension with Olimpia Milano in Italy, according to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport (hat tip Sportando). Messina, the head coach of Milano, spent five years coaching under Gregg Popovich with the Spurs from 2014-19. He was named the EuroLeague Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2008.
Free agent big man Emanuel Terry has agreed to a deal in France with Orleans Loiret Basket, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). Terry spent this season in the G League with Sacramento’s affiliate, averaging 13.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
John Hollinger of The Athletic examines some of the players from the NBA’s “tanking” teams who have looked good down the stretch, including Wizards big man Kristaps Porzingis, Rockets guard Jalen Green and Knicks forward Obi Toppin.

And-Ones: Selden, Brantley, MVP, OTE, Shue

April 5th, 2022 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran shooting guard Wayne Selden, who began the 2021/22 season with the Knicks, has signed with Ironi Ness Ziona in Israel, the team announced in a press release. Selden has appeared in 127 total NBA games for Memphis, Chicago, New Orleans, and New York since 2016. He spent the 2020/21 campaign with Ironi Ness Ziona, so the move represents a reunion for the two sides.

Former Jazz forward Jarrell Brantley is among the other NBA veterans who has signed with a team outside the NBA. Puerto Rico’s Leones de Ponce announced today in a press release that they’ve signed Brantley to a short-term deal. The former second-round pick played in 37 games for Utah from 2019-21 before he was waived last September.

Here are a few more notes from around the basketball world:

Cole Huff of The Athletic singles out three under-the-radar veterans who are playing well after changing teams at the trade deadline nearly two months ago, highlighting Clippers forward Robert Covington, Spurs wing Josh Richardson, and Pistons big man Marvin Bagley III.
Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the top contenders for this season’s Most Valuable Player award, but it looks like upwards of a dozen candidates could receive top-five votes. A panel of ESPN writers took a closer look at the field.
In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Jonathan Givony outlines the biggest takeaways from year one of the Overtime Elite league and explores what’s next for OTE. It became clear quickly that Overtime Elite is a “serious, ambitious venture with significant financial backing,” Givony writes.
Gene Shue, a five-time NBA All-Star from 1958-62 and a two-time Coach of the Year in 1969 and 1982, passed away at age 90 on Monday, writes Tony Garcia of The Detroit Free Press. Shue enjoyed much of his success as a player in Fort Wayne and Detroit, then coached the Bullets (Baltimore and Washington), Clippers (San Diego and Los Angeles), and Sixers for over two decades.

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Murray, Sengun, Pera

April 4th, 2022 at 10:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Luka Doncic ranks among the top five in the league in scoring and assists but he’s getting very little Most Valuable Player buzz. The Mavericks guard shrugs it off, according to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News.

“We’re winning. That’s what I care [about]. Our goal is to get home advantage,” he said. “We’re so close. We’ve got three games left, and that’s our goal right now.”

Assistant coach Peter Patton said Doncic deserves more consideration. “If you watch every game since the All-Star break or just before the All-Star break, it’s been go time,” he said. “I mean, he’s been outstanding. Arguably, you can say he’s the best player in the league. He is the most valuable player in the league, in my opinion, because he can score, he can pass, he can defend, he can rebound. He makes his teammates better, and I think that’s the biggest thing.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Spurs will be without their top player, Dejounte Murray, for the third consecutive game when they face the Nuggets on Tuesday, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. Murray is battling an upper respiratory illness. Currently holding the 10th and final spot in the Western Conference play-in picture, San Antonio has won its last two games without the All-Star guard.
Rockets rookie big man Alperen Sengun said he will play for the Turkish National Team at EuroBasket 2022 this summer, Adam Spolane of SportsRadio 610 tweets. Sengun plans to participate in Houston’s Summer League minicamp prior to playing in the international tournament.
The Grizzlies’ Robert Pera is the third-richest owner in the league and his deep pockets will help the much-improved team maintain its new standing as a Western Conference contender, Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes. The Grizzlies haven’t spent into the luxury tax since 2005, but Pera is willing to do that, according to Windhorst. The team has also been sending signals that it intends to be aggressive in retaining and acquiring talent, Windhorst adds.

And-Ones: EuroLeague, Cuban, All-NBA Voting, DPOY

April 3rd, 2022 at 11:03am CST by Arthur Hill

The EuroLeague is considering a future with no Russian teams in the wake of the nation’s invasion of Ukraine, according to EuroHoops. League CEO Jordi Bertomeu said in a radio interview with Serbia’s “Maxbet” that the topic will be addressed after the season ends.

“It is too early to talk about that, we need to see what the situation will be like,” Bertomeu said. “It will be clearer after the Final Four. We see what the circumstances will be like. If it stays as it is now, it will be very difficult for Russian clubs to return. We will suggest some things to the club.”

Last month, the league suspended its three Russian squads — CSKA Moscow, Zenit Saint Petersburg, UNICS Kazan — for the remainder of the season. They were also banned from all European competitions and the games they have already played won’t count in the league’s final standings. Zenit St. Petersburg and UNICS Kazan have single-season EuroLeague licenses, but the situation may be more complex with CSKA Moscow, which has a longer commitment with a multi-year A license.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wants to see Team USA go back to using college players in international competitions, per Steve Bulpett of Heavy. Some NBA players have said that playing for the national team requires too much of a commitment because it involves the Olympics and the World Cup as well as qualifying tournaments for both events. “I would start our own World Cup and get us out of the Olympics for players over 21,” Cuban said.
Players and media members are both uncomfortable with having contract values affected by All-NBA voting, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. A provision in the 2017 CBA makes players who sign max contracts eligible for a larger share of the salary cap if they’re on two all-NBA teams in the final three years of their rookie contracts or if they just earn a spot in their fourth season. That means the voting can be worth millions of dollars. “There’s no criteria set for the media, for the voters, who they should vote for,” Celtics star Jayson Tatum said on J.J. Redick’s podcast earlier this year. “It’s all opinion-based. There’s no ‘he should have to play this many games or make the playoffs or average this many points.’ It’s all like, ‘Well, I like this guy a little bit more,’ or certain things like that. There’s just too much on the line for that.”
Perimeter players such as Marcus Smart and Mikal Bridges want more consideration in Defensive Player of the Year voting, states Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Centers have won the award in 25 of its 39 years.

Basketball Hall Of Fame Announces Full Class Of 2022

April 2nd, 2022 at 12:33pm CST by JD Shaw

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has officially announced its 13 honorees for this year, including former players and coaches from the NBA, WNBA and NCAA, along with figures from different basketball committees.

As we previously relayed, Spurs legend Manu Ginobili and former Heat All-Star Tim Hardaway headline the class. They are joined by longtime NBA coach George Karl, former referee Hugh Evans and two-time NCAA National Coach of the Year Bob Huggins.

On the women’s side, three-time WNBA champion Lindsay Whalen, two-time Olympic gold medalist Swin Cash and former WNBA Coach of the Year Marianne Stanley will be inducted.

“Year after year, we are constantly reminded of the extraordinary and transcendent efforts of the remarkable men and women who have impacted the game of basketball from a global perspective,” Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame President and CEO John L. Doleva said in a statement.

“The Class of 2022 is ripe with individuals who have had a significant historical impact on the game we love. We congratulate and thank them for everything they’ve done to better the sport and look forward to honoring them during Enshrinement this fall.”

Lou Hudson (Veterans Committee), Theresa Shank-Grentz (Women’s Veterans Committee), Radivoj Korac (International Committee), Larry Costello (Contributor Committee) and Del Harris (Contributor Committee) will also be inducted. The full class will be enshrined on September 9 and 10 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

And-Ones: Jerebko, Canaan, China, Teammate Award, Future Rankings

March 31st, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While some former NBA players have left Russian teams following the invasion into Ukraine, Jonas Jerebko is resuming his career there. The ex-NBA big man signed with CSKA Moscow, the team tweets. That didn’t sit well with the Swedish National Team, who suspended him, according to Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops.net. “Unfortunately, we are forced to state that there are no conditions for Jonas Jerebko to play for the Sweden basketball national team,” a Swedish Basketball Federation press release stated in part. Jerebko played for four NBA teams.

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Another Russian team, Unics Kazan, has mutually parted ways with guard Isaiah Canaan, according to a EuroHoops.net story. Canaan is joining Turkey’s Galatasaray, EuroHoops tweets. Canaan appeared in 235 NBA games, most recently during the 2018/19 campaign.
Chinese TV has resumed broadcasts of NBA games, Sopan Deb of the New York Times reports. China had boycotted NBA broadcasts since 2019, when former Houston executive Daryl Morey tweeted support for pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong. China Central Television, its state-run TV network, broadcasted Tuesday night’s matchup between the Clippers and Jazz, which kicked off a full return of the league to China’s airwaves.
The 12 finalists for the league’s Teammate of the Year award have been announced, the NBA announced (via Twitter). DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Jeff Green , Udonis Haslem, Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kevin Love, Boban Marjanovic, Chris Paul, Fred VanVleet and Grant Williams are the contenders. The annual honor recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.
The Grizzlies top the list on ESPN’s Future Power Rankings, according to Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, Andre’ Snellings, and Tim Bontemps (Insider link). They’re followed by the Heat and Suns. The Kings sit at the bottom of the pile.

Gerald Green Signs In Puerto Rico

March 26th, 2022 at 3:51pm CST by JD Shaw

Free agent guard Gerald Green has signed in Puerto Rico with Gigantes de Carolina, the team announced on social media today. Green, a 12-year veteran, will head overseas for the first time since 2011.

Green most recently played for the Rockets’ G League team. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 20 games this season, playing 28.9 minutes per contest. He also shot 43% from the floor and 37% from deep during those outings.

Green retired as a player in October and joined the Rockets’ coaching staff as an assistant. He then resumed playing in January, choosing to join Houston’s NBAGL affiliate with hopes of returning to the NBA.

At 36 years old, time is running out for the former Slam Dunk Contest winner, but a successful overseas stint could help attract NBA interest. Along with Houston, he’s made stops with Boston, Minnesota, Dallas, New Jersey, Indiana, Phoenix and Miami in his career.

And-Ones: Scoring Race, Lottery Teams, EuroLeague, Cole

March 23rd, 2022 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s 2021/22 scoring race could end up being one for the ages, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. As Reynolds outlines, the league is currently on pace for its closest three-way scoring race of all-time.

Currently, Lakers forward LeBron James leads the pack with 30.0 points per game, followed by Sixers center Joel Embiid at 29.8 PPG and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo at 29.7 PPG.

Five more players are averaging at least 27.0 PPG, but are unlikely to crash the top three even with strong finishes. Nets forward Kevin Durant (29.6 PPG) would have made it a fascinating four-way race if were able to meet the required minimum of 58 games played, but he’ll fall just short of that threshold.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Dan Devine of The Ringer takes a look at the 10 teams who appear likely to miss the playoffs and the play-in and identifies one silver lining for each club. Devine’s list includes Anfernee Simons‘ breakout for the Trail Blazers, Markelle Fultz‘s return for the Magic, and Kyle Kuzma‘s development for the Wizards.
After initially suspending the Russian teams in the EuroLeague and EuroCup, the Euroleague has opted to expel those clubs for the rest of 2021/22, writes Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net. The decision, made in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, will affect CSKA Moscow, Zenit St. Petersburg, and UNICS Kazan in the EuroLeague and Lokomotiv Kuban in the EuroCup.
In other international basketball news, former NBA point guard Norris Cole has signed with JL Bourg in France, while journeyman wing Sean Kilpatrick has joined Spanish team Zaragoza, according to press releases from the respective clubs. Cole has played in 360 regular season NBA games, while Kilpatrick has appeared in 157, but both have been out of the league for a few years.

And-Ones: Antetokounmpo, Hill, Blakeney, Ukraine

March 19th, 2022 at 12:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Managerial members of the Greek national team are expected to meet this week with the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee to discuss their participation in this summer’s EuroBasket, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. Both have a history of playing for the national team.

Greece will participate in 2022 EuroBasket this September.

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Team USA managing director Grant Hill doesn’t expect star players to make multi-year commitments to USA Basketball, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Hill said it’s unrealistic to expect current players to give up two consecutive summers to play for the team. Team USA, under Hill, also won’t hold a training camp this summer, another break from tradition. “There’s the notion that we (should) demand or expect two-year commitment from guys, but I’m not sure that necessarily works in this day and age,” Hill said. “People’s willingness and commitment to give two consecutive years to Team USA has changed, so we have to be able to adapt to the times. There’s been a considerable amount of interest from players who have already been a part of this, players who have already won gold medals in recent cycles, and then obviously, young players who want to be a part of this. I’m confident we’ll get the job done.”
Former Bulls guard Antonio Blakeney has signed with Hapoel Be’er Sheva in Israel, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors relays (Twitter link). Blakeney played 76 games with Chicago from 2017-19. He began this season in Bahrain.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may force western sports leagues to reconsider their overseas partnerships, according to Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic. Just as athletes and leagues became more involved in social justice issues in recent years, there may be more of a consideration regarding human rights in choosing which countries they will market and operate their sports and products.