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And-Ones: Awards, Flagg, Celtics, Thunder, Porter

April 18th, 2024 at 6:06pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The finalists for the NBA’s seven end-of-season awards honoring the top performers of the 2023/24 season are set to be unveiled on Sunday, April 21, according to the league (Twitter link). The finalists will be revealed on NBA on TNT at 6:30 p.m.

The performance awards include the Most Valuable Player, the Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Clutch Player of the Year.

Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic are among the expected frontrunners for MVP. Tyrese Maxey and Coby White are considered the favorites for Most Improved, and that may be one of the closer races among all awards. The battle for Sixth Man of the Year, which figures to feature the likes of Naz Reid and Malik Monk, may also be close. Victor Wembanyama is widely expected to earn the Rookie of the Year award and should also receive consideration for Defensive Player of the Year.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Projected 2025 No. 1 overall pick and Duke commit Cooper Flagg recently completed his stint at the Nike Hoop Summit, where top young prospects showcase their skills in front of scouts. Flagg sat down with HoopsHype’s Sam Yip to discuss the event, his upbringing and why he chose to play for the Blue Devils. “Fit and feel,” Flagg said. “Great relationship with Coach Scheyer. Durham is a great place, a great environment. I mean just the environment and the feel and the fit for me.“
  • The Celtics and Thunder‘s G League affiliates made the NBAGL Finals this season. That best-of-three series corresponded with the end of the NBA’s regular season, which is when many developmental players often get a chance to shine. Jared Weiss of The Athletic explores how the teams’ two-way players were impacted by bouncing between getting big NBA minutes and having to prepare for a the G League championship. “That’s really the spirit of what the G League is, where you have guys moving between the leagues,” G League commissioner Shareef Abdur-Rahim said. “On any given night, you can be in a G League game and the next night play in an NBA game. That’s illuminated at this time, with how concentrated our playoffs are.” In a fun story, Weiss further explores the logistical side of being a two-way player in the G League. The Oklahoma City Blue won the championship, helped by the presence of two-way Thunder guard Lindy Waters III.
  • In the wake of former Raptors two-way big Jontay Porter being suspended for violating league gambling rules, the NBPA responded in a statement. “The NBPA exists to protect and support the interests of all 450 NBA players – both as individual players and as a collective,” the statement reads. “Adherence to league gambling policies is paramount to maintaining the integrity of our athletes and protecting the future of the sport. The NBPA will make sure Jontay has access to the resources he needs during this time, in light of the NBA’s decision. All players, including Jontay, should be afforded appropriate due process and opportunity to answer to any charges brought against them.“
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NBAGL All-League, Defensive, Rookie Teams Announced

April 18th, 2024 at 4:27pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA announced all of the major All-NBA G League teams on Thursday (All Twitter links found here), including the First Team, Second Team, Third Team, All-Defensive Team, and All-Rookie team.

Several current and former NBA players are among the honorees. Here is the full list of winners for the 2023/24 season.

All-NBA G League First Team:

All-NBA G League Second Team:

All-NBA G League Third Team:

G League All-Defensive Team:

G League All-Rookie Team:

* Denotes two-way contract

^ Denotes standard contract

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Two-Way Player Sarr Ruptures Achilles

April 18th, 2024 at 9:26am CST by Dana Gauruder

Chauncey Billups is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract with the Trail Blazers, who hold a team option on the 2025/26 season. Billups realizes that the team needs to show significant improvement in order for him to get an extension, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report.

“In this business, I always feel like you’re trying to prove what you can do and what kind of coach you can be,” he said. “I’ve always felt that way and I feel no different going into next year. I’m looking forward to that opportunity to be able to prove how good I can be. In this league and any league in the professional ranks, you’re always coaching for your job. It’s a part of the business. But that doesn’t scare me. I’m not worried about it. I’ll be fine. I’m looking forward to it.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Blazers are planning to improve from within rather than making aggressive moves for high-priced veterans that could cost them major resources, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian reports. “We’re heavily invested in a lot of our young guys, so development will continue to be a focus,” GM Joe Cronin said. “We’re not going to win at an extremely high level until some of those guys are ready. But at the same time, it’s our job to give them the best environment to thrive in. And often that’s with additional help. I think this year there were some flaws in the roster, especially in some missing skill sets and just in general imbalance, where it made it complicated for those guys to reach their highest potential.”
  • Jontay Porter‘s ban from the NBA for gambling-related violations has taken a toll on his brother, Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., Bennett Durando of the Denver Post tweets. “It has not been easy for him,” coach Michael Malone said. “That’s why I give him credit, because he’s carrying so much in his heart and in his mind.”
  • Thunder big man and two-way player Olivier Sarr suffered a left Achilles tendon rupture during the G League Finals on Monday night, according to a team press release. In 15 games this season with the Thunder, Sarr averaged 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in 6.5 minutes. Sarr also saw action in 18 games with the Blue and averaged 14.0 points, 13.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 28.2 minutes.
  • Bismack Biyombo fainted during a game in early March. The Thunder center revealed to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman that he was dehydrated due to fasting. Biyombo has fasted at various times throughout his career for religious reasons.
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Thunder Prepares For Return To Playoffs As G League Team Wins Title

April 16th, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder‘s 57-25 record and No. 1 finish in the Western Conference represents an ahead-of-schedule arrival for a team that looked two years ago like it might be rebuilding for a few more seasons, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. Still, Oklahoma City isn’t doing a victory lap after going from 24 wins in 2021/22 to 40 last season to 57 this year.

“When we wake up Tuesday morning, we’re 0-0,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said on Sunday. “It’s a new season. Everything that we did in the regular season doesn’t matter except opponent and seeding. … We’ll go into it with great respect for our opponents, but great respect for ourselves.”

While the Thunder prepare for their first playoff series since 2020, the team’s G League affiliate – the Oklahoma City Blue – won its first ever championship on Monday, closing out the Maine Celtics in Game 3 of their best-of-three series (story).

As Cato points out, the Thunder’s entire starting lineup consists of players aged 25 or younger, but not all of the team’s recent lottery picks are playing major roles at the NBA level. Ousmane Dieng, the 11th overall pick in 2022, played limited minutes in just 33 games for the Thunder this season, but he helped the Blue secure its NBAGL title on Monday, earning Finals MVP honors by putting up 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting to go along with six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in the deciding game.

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And-Ones: Kawhi, Team USA, FAs, Musa, Coaches, More

April 16th, 2024 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

With 11 of 12 roster spots reportedly locked in for USA Basketball’s 2024 Olympic roster, the program could go in a number of different directions with the 12th and final slot. The list of players in contention for that final roster spot includes plenty of big names, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is currently viewed as the leading candidate.

Leonard’s teammate Paul George, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Magic forward Paolo Banchero, and Nets forward Mikal Bridges are also in the mix, sources tell Charania.

Leonard hasn’t represented Team USA at the Olympics or a World Cup before, but has support from some of the stars on the roster, including Kevin Durant and LeBron James, says Charania. George won gold with Team USA in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, while Brunson, Banchero, and Bridges competed in the 2023 World Cup.

It’s possible that more than one player in that final group of candidates could ultimately make the cut if any of the top 11 have to drop out due to an injury or for personal reasons. Of course, Leonard is currently dealing with a nagging knee issue of his own, though there’s no indication at this point it would prevent him from playing in July.

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

  • Danny Leroux of The Athletic takes a look at the NBA’s 2024 free agent class, evaluating what sort of stars, starters, and rotation players will be available. As Leroux observes, a handful of stars are on track for potential free agency, but few – if any – are good bets to change teams. That group includes LeBron James, Paul George, James Harden, Pascal Siakam, and Tyrese Maxey.
  • In an interview with Dean Sinovcic of Nacional.hr, former first-round pick Dzanan Musa, who spent two seasons in Brooklyn from 2018-20, didn’t rule out the possibility of returning to the NBA as early as this offseason, but said he’s focused for now on trying to win Liga ACB and EuroLeague titles with Real Madrid (hat tip to Sportando).
  • Sam Amick of The Athletic considers what’s at stake for each NBA head coach in the postseason, suggesting that the pressure will be on Joe Mazzulla (Celtics) to at least reach the NBA Finals. Jason Kidd (Mavericks), J.B. Bickerstaff (Cavaliers), and Darvin Ham (Lakers) are among the others who will be motivated to avoid early exits, Amick adds.
  • In a conversation about end-of-season awards, a panel of five ESPN experts weren’t in agreement on who should win Most Improved Player or Sixth Man of the Year. Three different players – Malik Monk, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Naz Reid – earned votes from the five-man panel for Sixth Man honors.
  • Which NBA players were the most underpaid this season? Despite being on a maximum-salary contract, Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tops the list from Frank Urbina of HoopsHype.
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Thunder’s Mark Daigneault Wins Coaches Association Award

April 15th, 2024 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has won the Michael H. Goldberg award for the 2023/24 season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports that Daigneault has been named the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year.

This award, introduced in 2017 and named after longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg, is voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches, none of whom can vote for himself.

However, it isn’t the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award, which is voted on by media members and is represented by the Red Auerbach Trophy. The winner of that award will be announced later this spring.

J.B. Bickerstaff (Cavaliers), Chris Finch (Timberwolves), Joe Mazzulla (Celtics), and Jamahl Mosley (Magic) also received votes from their fellow coaches for this year’s NBCA award, per Wojnarowski.

Daigneault, who is just 39 years old, has overseen the rebuild in Oklahoma City since 2020. After winning just 22 games in his first year on the job, the Thunder increased that total to 24 in 2021/22, 40 in ’22/23, and 57 in ’23/24. That 57-25 record this season made the Thunder the improbable No. 1 seed in the West in their first trip to the playoffs during Daigneault’s tenure.

As Wojnarowski points out, Oklahoma City was one of just two NBA teams this season – along with Boston – to finish in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating. The Thunder’s 118.3 offensive rating ranked third in the NBA, while their 111.0 defensive rating was fourth.

The NBCA Coach of the Year award has frequently been a bellwether for the NBA’s Coach of the Year honor, which bodes well for Daigneault. In five of the seven years since the award’s inception, the winner has gone on to be named the NBA’s Coach of the Year.

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And-Ones: Australia, McLemore, York, Jerebko, Calipari, Klutch

April 11th, 2024 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Australian national team has revealed its preliminary roster for the 2024 Olympics, announcing a list of 22 players that are in the mix to play in Paris. That group will have to be cut down to 12 players ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Australia’s preliminary roster includes several NBAers, including Thunder guard Josh Giddey, Mavericks guard Dante Exum, Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle and big man Duop Reath, Mavericks wing Josh Green, Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels, Magic forward Joe Ingles, Heat guard Patty Mills, Rockets center Jock Landale, and Grizzlies forward Jack White.

As Olgun Uluc of ESPN notes, the newest addition to the Boomers’ roster is 19-year-old Johnny Furphy, who played for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2023/24 and is projected by ESPN to be a potential first-round pick in this year’s draft.

The most notable absence is Ben Simmons, as the Nets guard underwent back surgery last month that will sideline him for the Olympics. Simmons doesn’t have much history with the Australian national team, so it’s unclear if he would’ve been part of the Boomers’ roster in Paris even if he’d been healthy.

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

  • Former NBA guard Ben McLemore was arrested and jailed this week in Oregon and faces multiple felony sexual assault charges, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The charges, which include first-degree rape, stem from an alleged incident in 2021, when McLemore was a member of the Trail Blazers.
  • Former NBA guard Gabe York, who appeared in five games for the Pacers across two seasons from 2021-23, has signed with Basquet Girona, the Spanish team announced this week in a press release. York played for the G League Ignite earlier this season.
  • Following a two-year hiatus from basketball, Swedish forward Jonas Jerebko is making a comeback, having signed with Puerto Rican team Santeros de Aguada, according to Eurohoops. Jerebko, who turned 37 last month, appeared in 635 NBA regular season games for four teams from 2009-19. He last played professionally for CSKA Moscow in 2022.
  • Shams Charania and Kyle Tucker of The Athletic take an in-depth look at John Calipari‘s decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas after 15 years with the Wildcats, detailing how Calipari’s deal with the Razorbacks came about.
  • One Legacy Sports Management, led by veteran agent Mike George, is becoming part of Klutch Sports, CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Jamal Murray, Dillon Brooks, and Shaedon Sharpe are among George’s clients, per RealGM.
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Northwest Notes: Murray, Edwards, Holiday, Hayward, Banton

April 10th, 2024 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

A Northwest division showdown in Denver on Wednesday night will go a long way toward determining which team controls the No. 1 seed in this year’s Western Conference playoffs. The Nuggets and Timberwolves will enter the evening with matching 55-24 records and only three games left to play.

Both teams will be on the second end of a back-to-back set. On Tuesday, the Nuggets picked up a 16-point win in Utah, with Jamal Murray scoring 28 points in just 27 minutes of action in his second game back following a seven-game injury absence. Murray is still on a minutes restriction, but looked fresh in the fourth quarter when Denver needed him most, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

“Seven games off will do that for you,” Murray told reporters in his post-game media session. “So I feel good. It’s just good to get a flow out there. It’s more conditioning. Your breathing and muscle fatigue throughout the game. … Felt good, comfortable and just ready to play.”

Meanwhile, in Minnesota, the Timberwolves kept pace in the race for No. 1 by registering a 130-121 victory over Washington. It was a memorable night for Anthony Edwards, who scored a career-high 51 points while also dishing seven assists. After the win, Edwards credited head coach Chris Finch for making sure he didn’t let up against one of the NBA’s worst teams.

“He put me in the office two, three days ago and said, ‘Look man, we’ve got this Washington game, and we need to win it, need to come ready to play and you can’t treat it like any other game,'” Edwards said (story via ESPN).

The Timberwolves hold the tiebreaker edge over the Nuggets, so if they can pick up a win tonight, their magic number for the top seed in the West will be down to just one.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • Although Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was noncommittal on Tuesday when asked if Justin Holiday will be part of his playoff rotation, he indicated he would be comfortable leaning on the veteran swingman, Durando writes for The Denver Post. “I trust him 100%,” Malone said. “He’s a veteran. He’s been around the league for a long time, and he’s proven in the one year with us, he’s proven himself to be trustworthy. Disciplined. Stays ready. Makes open shots. Guards. He’s done everything that’s been asked of him. For a while, he was a guy that would play if there was an injury, and then for the last month or so he’s been a rotation player for us.”
  • The Thunder likely envisioned Gordon Hayward being part of their playoff rotation when they acquired him from Charlotte in February, but it has been a rough adjustment period for the veteran forward, who has averaged just 4.5 points in 16.5 minutes per game in his 23 appearances since the trade. As Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman writes, Hayward is still trying to get comfortable in his new reduced role. “Obviously would be probably better if I was here at the beginning of the year with everybody,” Hayward said. “Every team across the league will tell you that midseason trades are difficult to get everybody adjusted to everybody. Gotta work with what you’re given.”
  • After the Raptors declined to issue him a qualifying offer last June and the Celtics didn’t find room in the rotation for him in the first half of the season, Dalano Banton‘s NBA future appeared tenuous. However, as Jared Weiss of The Athletic details, Banton has enjoyed a career renaissance with the Trail Blazers, averaging 16.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 3.5 APG in 28 games (28.5 MPG) since being sent to Portland in a salary-dump deal at the trade deadline. The Blazers hold a minimum-salary team option for 2024/25 on Banton, who says he “learned a lot” as a reserve in Boston earlier this season.
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Northwest Notes: Reid, Wolves, Murray, SGA, Williams

April 9th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

Naz Reid is making a strong late-season push for the Sixth Man of the Year award, having averaged 19.4 points and 7.1 rebounds on .488/.448/.743 shooting in his past 14 games as he fills in for injured Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns. After racking up 31 points and 11 rebounds in a win over the Lakers on Sunday, Reid admitted that winning that award is a personal goal, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

“That’s something that I want. I’m hungry for it,” Reid said. “I want that. I think the impact, the record has shown it, our standing has shown it. I want it bad. I’m hungry for it.”

Reid has come off the bench in 65 of his 77 appearances this season — all 12 of those starts have come within the last month, which is the primary reason for the bump in his production. Still, as Hine points out, it’s the mark of an effective sixth man to be able to sub in for an injured starter without missing a beat.

“I think it’s obvious that Naz Reid is the Sixth Man of the Year,” teammate Anthony Edwards said. “We’re the No. 1 team in the West. He’s had multiple 30-point games. He’s the reason we’re winning. He’s a big reason why. KAT went down a little minute ago and we’ve still been able to win, it’s because of Naz.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • Securing the No. 1 seed in the West would be the “cherry on top” of a terrific regular season for the Timberwolves and would give the team a “huge advantage” heading into the playoffs, according to head coach Chris Finch (Twitter video link via Mark Medina of Sportskeeda). However, no matter where the Wolves end up in the standings, Finch expects a difficult path in the postseason. “It might be the hardest playoffs ever,” Finch said, “so any advantage you can get is going to be a big one.”
  • Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was on a minutes restriction on Sunday in his first game back from various leg injuries and that restriction may continue for the rest of the regular season, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required). Murray played just 21 minutes on Sunday, though head coach Michael Malone confirmed his limit isn’t actually that low — the star guard wasn’t needed in the fourth quarter since Denver had the game well in hand.
  • In an entertaining feature story for ESPN.com, Ramona Shelburne explores Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s evolution into a legitimate MVP candidate. The star guard doesn’t show up on the Thunder‘s injury report for Tuesday’s game vs. the Kings, notes Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire, so it appears he’ll return after missing four games due to a quad injury. Jalen Williams (ankle), who has also been out for the past four games, is listed as questionable.
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NBA’s 20 Postseason Teams Set For 2024

April 7th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The 20 teams that will compete in either the playoffs or the play-in tournament (or both) have officially been set following the Rockets‘ loss to Dallas on Sunday, per the NBA (Twitter link).

There’s still much to be decided in the season’s final week, including exactly which six teams in each conference will secure playoff spots without having to win one or two play-in games. However, with the Rockets’ elimination, we at least know which teams from both the West and East will play beyond the end of the regular season next Sunday.

The Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Thunder have already clinched playoff berths in the West, while the Clippers‘ magic number for a playoff spot is down to 1. The Mavericks are also well positioned to claim a top-six seed following their win on Sunday. They’re followed in the standings by the Suns, Pelicans, Lakers, Kings, and Warriors.

Four of those teams will compete in the play-in tournament for two playoff spots, but the exact play-in participants and matchups remain very much up in the air. Of the Western clubs in the back half of the top 10, only Golden State is a virtual lock to be a play-in team, since the Dubs are currently four games out of sixth place.

Over in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are the lone club to secure a playoff berth so far and have also clinched the No. 1 seed. They’re followed by the Bucks, Magic, Knicks, Cavaliers, Pacers, Heat, and Sixers, with the Bulls and Hawks well out of eighth place and locked into the No. 9 vs. 10 play-in game.

The East’s playoff race remains tight, with No. 2 Milwaukee and No. 8 Philadelphia separated by only 4.5 games at the time of this writing.

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