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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Brunson, Randle, Tsai, Marks

August 4th, 2024 at 1:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After going 64-18 in the regular season and 16-3 in the playoffs en route to their 18th title this June, the Celtics already look like the team to beat next season. In a reader mailbag, Brian Robb of MassLive.com speculates as to which players could improve even more in 2024/25.

Robb believes that reserve big man Xavier Tillman, who has dealt with knee troubles in the last two seasons, still has room to grow at age 25. Robb also believes that Finals MVP swingman Jaylen Brown could improve his scoring efficiency.

Additionally, Robb touches on Tatum’s inconsistent postseason scoring, the team’s contracts, and what in-game elements the club can improve.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Knicks All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson inked a four-year, $156.5MM contract extension with New York this summer — far less than the five-year, $269MM contract he could have signed as an unrestricted free agent last year. In an Insider-only story, Bobby Marks and Tim Bontemps of ESPN reflect on how the superstar guard’s below-market deal could impact the future of All-Star power forward Julius Randle – who has just become extension-eligible himself – and the rest of the roster.
Nets owner Joe Tsai has “absolute confidence” that general manager Sean Marks can rebuild the club’s roster, a source informs Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). Marks’ history of finding talent outside of the draft lottery is a major factor in ownership’s belief in the team’s longtime GM. “[Tsai has] absolute confidence in the ability of the front office to draft well,” that source said. “Sean’s track record there is very good: Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, Nic Claxton. [They took] Nic Claxton 31st in the draft. [Tsai] has every confidence in Sean.”
In case you missed it, new Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez believes his experience coaching the Canadian national team helped him book the Brooklyn gig.

International Notes: Fournier, France, Okobo, Zagars, Lundberg

August 4th, 2024 at 12:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent swingman Evan Fournier, who is currently competing with France at the Olympics in Paris, was critical of his team’s tactics following its group stage loss to Germany, as BasketNews.com relays.

“I think we lack fundamentals,” Fournier told Yann Ohnona of L’Equipe. “We have to move on. At times, I think we get it wrong in the way we want to play. And we pay the price for that. These days, the best defense is offense. It’s no longer the game of the 1990s or 2000s where you could defend half-court. Offense is essential. Balance on the court, transition game. Especially when you play a team as strong in transition as Germany is.”

The French national team, which went 2-1 in group play, will face undefeated Canada in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Here are a few more international notes:

French point guard Elie Okobo, who did not make the cut for the Olympics, has signed a two-year extension with EuroLeague squad A.S. Monaco Basket, the team announced in a press release. The 31st pick of the 2018 draft, Okobo spent two seasons with Phoenix from 2018-20.
Latvian guard Arturs Zagars will play for Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce during the 2024/25 season, the team announced on Sunday (hat tip to Kevin Martorano of Sportando). Zagars, who drew NBA interest last summer but has never played in the league, sustained a meniscus injury last fall while on loan with the BC Wolves of Lithuania.
Former NBA guard Gabriel Lundberg recently spoke to Vreme Citanja of Mozzart Sport about his decision to sign with Serbia’s Partizan. “I am excited. I will be part of a new project, a new team is being built,” Lundberg said, per Matorano of Sportando. “I could not miss the opportunity to play in Belgrade: Every time I played against Partizan it was incredible. I always told myself that one day I would like to play here, and I am happy that this wish came true. I am on a legendary team, with a legendary coach and a fan base that is all over Europe. I really imagined playing in front of those fans one day.” A 29-year-old guard from Denmark, Lundberg spent the past two seasons with Virtus Bologna of Italy after playing four games with Phoenix in 2021/22 while on a two-way deal.

Bulls Reportedly Still Trying To Trade LaVine, Vucevic

August 4th, 2024 at 11:29am CST by Rory Maher

Marc Stein reported a couple weeks ago that while Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic remain trade candidates, it appears increasingly likely that both players will open the 2024/25 season as Bulls.

Apparently it isn’t for lack of effort from the front office though. According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas continues to actively explore deals for the former All-Stars, but obviously the team hasn’t found anything suitable to this point.

LaVine is owed about $138MM over the next three seasons (including a $49MM player option for 2026/27), while Vucevic will earn $41MM through 2026. That salary differential is one reason why Vucevic is viewed as more likely to be moved than LaVine, though Stein wrote that a trade for the 33-year-old big man might not come together until after the season begins.

Cowley’s article is mostly focused on the Bulls’ rotation, which will be difficult for head coach Billy Donovan to manage if the roster remains intact. As Cowley writes, the backcourt, in particular, could be problematic, with Josh Giddey, LaVine and Coby White — three offense-first guards — seemingly likely to start, with Patrick Williams and Vucevic rounding out the first five.

Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, Jevon Carter, and perhaps even Lonzo Ball will be among the guards off the bench, Cowley notes, further illustrating the rotational dilemma Donovan could face this fall.

Eastern Notes: Booker, Heat, Hornets, Nnaji, Tominaga

August 4th, 2024 at 9:53am CST by Rory Maher

Suns star Devin Booker, who is currently competing in the Olympics with Team USA, told D’Angelo Russell he wanted to be drafted by the Heat back in 2015 (YouTube link). Miami ultimately selected former Duke forward Justise Winslow at No. 10 overall, while Booker went No. 13 to Phoenix.

“You knew it was Phoenix though leading up to (the draft)?” Russell asked Booker.

“Oh, no,” Booker replied.

“I thought you was going to Miami,” Russell said.

“That’s where I was hoping,” Booker said (hat tip to HoopsHype). “Because Miami was my best workout, and then I remember, I think (Heat president) Pat Riley did an interview and he’s like, ‘we’re looking for a Klay Thompson-type player, we need to up our shooting.’

“I just shot 40 (percent from three) in college, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah.’ I’m looking at spots right down there by the arena. … Draft is crazy though, your life changes like that, you have no control over it really.”

Booker, 27, is under contract through 2028, and there’s no indication he’s angling to join the Heat in the future — the conversation was merely a couple of friends reminiscing about their draft experiences, as Russell was taken No. 2 that same year by the Lakers. Still, it’s something to keep in mind if Booker ever decides to seek a change of scenery.

Here are a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference:

Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer takes a look at the Hornets‘ roster, projecting a starting five of LaMelo Ball, Josh Green, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges and Mark Williams, with Grant Williams and Tre Mann among the top reserves. As Boone notes, Mann is eligible for a rookie scale extension until the day before the 2024/25 season begins.
Big man James Nnaji, whom the Hornets selected No. 31 overall in 2023, will play for Girona during the 2024/25 season, per BasketNews. Nnaji will be on loan from Barcelona, which announced the move on Sunday. The 19-year-old draft-and-stash prospect struggled to get rotation minutes with Spanish powerhouse Barcelona in ’23/24, but he should have an opportunity for more playing time with Girona, which also competes in Spain’s top basketball league. Girona is owned by former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol. Nigerian center Nnaji reportedly hoped to make the leap to the NBA this season, but that plan was curtailed by back surgery in the spring.
Guard Keisei Tominaga, who played for the Japanese national team at the Olympics, is thrilled with the opportunity to join the Pacers on an Exhibit 10 training camp deal, he told Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. “This summer I’ll prepare for this NBA opportunity, I just got to show every day that I can accomplish my dream and get into the NBA, so yeah I am very excited,” said Tominaga, who spent the past three college seasons at Nebraska.

Community Shootaround: Predict Gold, Silver, Bronze Medal Winners

August 3rd, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

It took a week to eliminate four men’s basketball teams from the Olympics, and now the stakes in Paris are about to get much higher. The tournament will take on a March Madness feel when it resumes Tuesday with four quarterfinal matchups. The winners will advance to compete for medals, while the losers will head home facing four long years before they can try again.

Team USA, the prohibitive favorite entering the Games, captured the top seed with convincing wins over Group C rivals Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico and a points differential of +64. Led by first-ballot Hall of Famers LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, the Americans have revived memories of the days when they used to dominate international competitions.

Their next opponent will be Brazil, which hasn’t won an Olympic basketball medal since 1964. The Brazilians emerged from Group B with a 1-2 record and a -7 point differential, defeating Japan while losing to France and Germany. Brazil has the fewest NBA players of anybody left in the competition, as Warriors guard Gui Santos is the only one currently on an NBA roster.

Germany, which went unbeaten while capturing the FIBA World Cup last summer, has looked like the second-best team in the Olympics. Led by a core of Dennis Schroder, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner and Daniel Theis, the Germans were +47 in points while sweeping through Group B.

Canada, which is also seeking its second medal in Olympic basketball, looks like a serious contender after winning all three games in Group A, which was dubbed by many as the “group of death.” Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a finalist for MVP honors last season, the Canadian roster is filled with NBA talent and the team is battle tested after defeating Australia, Greece and Spain.

With Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Serbia and Greece both have players capable of taking over a game, making them especially dangerous in a single-elimination format. Australia’s roster is loaded with NBA players who have a history of competing in big international games, while the French feature a nightmare matchup in Victor Wembanyama and have the incentive of trying to win the gold medal in front of their home crowd.

Germany and Greece will square off Tuesday morning to start the next round, followed by Serbia-Australia, France-Canada and U.S.-Brazil. Winners of the first and third games will meet Wednesday in one semifinal, while the other will match the winners of the second and fourth games. The medal games will take place Saturday.

After watching these teams in action for a week, we want to know what you think. Which countries do you expect to leave Paris with the gold, silver and bronze medals? Please leave your feedback in the space below.

Nets Notes: Fernandez, Bridges, Okoro, Training Staff

August 3rd, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jordi Fernandez spent 15 years working on NBA staffs and in the G League before the Nets gave him his first head coaching opportunity in April. In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Fernandez speculates that his experience as head coach of the Canadian national team gave him an edge in Brooklyn’s hiring process.

“Everybody says that they value the G League experience, which I think was amazing,” he said. “And for me it was a big part of why I kept developing. But coaching Canada and qualifying for the Olympics, it was the last push to be a head coach in the NBA and I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity. But also thankful for these guys, how hard they play. They are the ones that qualified. They are the ones that got a medal, so I obviously benefited from it.”

The Olympic obligations have prevented Fernandez from concentrating full-time on his new job, but he tells Spears they haven’t been a major distraction. He says Nets officials have been “super supportive” about his Olympic duties, and he was able to monitor Summer League games and practices by watching film. He’ll be able to devote his full attention to the team once the medal round in Paris wraps up next weekend.

“I’ve been calling and texting the (Nets) players,” Fernandez said. “I talked to Dennis (Schröder). Talked to the young guys. I talked to (Trendon) Watford. We just we got him back on the team, which we were very happy about. It takes time to build relationships, but they’ve been responsive and they’ve been awesome.”

There’s more on the Nets:

Also in the interview, Fernandez addresses the fact that the team he expected to coach changed significantly when Brooklyn traded Mikal Bridges to the Knicks in June. Fernandez said he supports the deal, which brought back Bojan Bogdanovic, Mamadi Diakite, Shake Milton and a large collection of draft assets, signifying that the Nets are fully moving into a rebuilding stage. “It was one of the avenues that we’ve had in mind and how we wanted to do things,” Fernandez said. “Obviously, he’s an amazing player and have a lot of respect for him. Every good trade has to be a win-win. And this is one avenue that we were contemplating. I’m very excited because I know that we can build something more special.”
Despite speculation earlier this week, it doesn’t look like the Nets are in position to acquire Isaac Okoro from the Cavaliers, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said on the “Ball Don’t Lie” podcast (hat tip to Sports Illustrated). Cleveland was rumored to be considering a sign-and-trade deal involving Dorian Finney-Smith. “I don’t think those talks got really, really substantial to my understanding,” Fischer said. “I just don’t think it can even happen right now after the salary stuff has all shifted out.”
Jonathan Felipe, the Nets’ head trainer, and Les Gelis, director of sports medicine (injury management) and co-head of the performance team, won’t be returning for the upcoming season, according to NetsDaily (Twitter links).

Olympic Notes: Ivey, Deng, Embiid, Fernandez

August 3rd, 2024 at 8:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

South Sudan’s remarkable run to the Olympics ended Saturday with a loss to Serbia, but the small nation plans to be a power on the international basketball scene for years to come, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. South Sudan gained its independence 11 years ago and didn’t participate in its first AfroBasket tournament until 2021. It earned a spot in last year’s FIBA World Cup, where it qualified for the Olympics by finishing 17th, the highest of any African country.

The most significant names in building South Sudanese basketball are former NBA players Luol Deng, who financed and oversaw the creation of the team, and Royal Ivey, who serves as head coach. Ivey, an assistant with the Rockets, compares the experience, which included a victory over Puerto Rico in the team’s Olympic debut, to being in a movie.

“A lot of hard work, togetherness, commitment from the president to bring these guys together,” he said. “There were a lot of years where we weren’t productive. [Three] years ago, we were at AfroBasket. I didn’t have the same amount of talent. I was able to conjugate all this talent and now we’re rolling. We’ve got a style of play and it’s been fun.”

Ivey admits that building a competitive program hasn’t been easy given the limitations in South Sudan. There are no indoor basketball courts in the country, so his team had to train in Rwanda, which meant long plane rides and flight delays, but the experience brought the team closer.

“These guys are brothers. It’s a band of brothers,” Ivey said. “It’s a togetherness. They play cards together. They play dominoes together. We eat together. It’s communal. Guys love each other. When guys are doing wrong, we hold guys accountable. That’s what real team is. And that’s what real family is. That’s what family looks like, South Sudan.”

There’s more from Paris:

Deng was incensed after Saturday’s loss, pointing to a disparity in foul calls that resulted in a 31-6 free throw advantage for Serbia, relays Sam Amick of The Athletic. Deng also objected to the fact that there’s only one referee from Africa among the Olympics’ 30-person officiating crew. “I don’t know why there (are) no African referees in the Olympics,” he said. “It’s 2024. I don’t know what’s the reason for that. You can say whatever you want to say, but if we’re representing the continent then we’ve got to be representing it fully.”
Joel Embiid has been getting booed throughout the Olympics because he opted to play for Team USA rather than France, but he explained to reporters, including Joe Vardon of The Athletic, that familiarity with his American teammates played an important role in his choice. “It was a tough decision, but it is all about comfort level, and like I said, I’ve known these guys (Team USA players) for a long time and I just felt more comfortable than on the other side (France),” Embiid said. “There was some concern with the other side. Comfort level was huge. I always say I’m going to be where I’m wanted and these guys wanted me.”
Canadian head coach Jordi Fernandez talked to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about the experience of trying to bring the country its first Olympic basketball medal. “The support has been unbelievable and these guys deserve it,” Fernandez said. “The program needs it. All I can say is thanks because we’ve been very supported by the country. And basketball now is one of the fastest growing pro sports in Canada.”

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Olympics, Butler, Morris

August 3rd, 2024 at 6:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

The three-year max extension that Bam Adebayo signed last month signals that it’s time for him to take over as the face of the Heat, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. At 27, Adebayo represents the future of the franchise, Winderman adds, which means personnel decisions should be made based on what’s best for him rather than Jimmy Butler.

Butler will turn 35 soon and his days in Miami may be numbered, regardless of whether he chooses to pick up his $52.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season. The Heat have explored trade possibilities involving Butler, and they may be ready to focus on a younger team built around Adebayo after years of short-term veteran additions.

Winderman observes that Adebayo and Butler have rarely exhibited much chemistry, as it often seemed they were “competing for the same spots on the court.” He also points out that although Kyle Lowry was brought in on Butler’s behalf, Adebayo seemed to benefit more from having an experienced point guard running the offense. This year’s Olympics have provided more evidence of what Adebayo can do when he’s surrounded by high-level talent, Winderman adds.

There’s more from Miami:

Adebayo is displaying his versatility for Team USA, per Walter Villa of The Miami Herald, with NBC broadcaster and former Heat star Dwyane Wade noting that Adebayo is filling the same role that he did during the 2008 Games. “I got an early text from (Miami head coach and Team USA assistant Eric Spoelstra) and, for me, ‘early’ was about 11 a.m.,” Wade said during Saturday’s game. “Spo said Bam’s role on this team is similar to mine in (2008, when USA won gold). You are coming in off the bench, and your role can change every night. That’s how valuable Bam has been, playing his role very well.”
It’s unlikely that Butler will be traded before the start of the season, Winderman states in a mailbag column. He adds that the team would have needed to pursue a Butler deal around the draft or the start of free agency if it was serious about unloading him. There probably won’t be any movement on a Butler trade until at least December 15, when most free agents who signed this summer become eligible to be dealt, and nothing may happen until closer to the February 6 trade deadline.
Despite rumors of interest in Marcus Morris, the Heat are likely done with significant transactions for the offseason, Winderman adds in the same piece. The only exception may be if they can get a rotation player at the veteran’s minimum.

Olympic Men’s Basketball Quarterfinal Matchups Set

August 3rd, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

With Olympic pool play now complete, the men’s basketball quarterfinal matchups have been determined. All four games will take place Tuesday, and the competition will be single-elimination from now on.

Germany will face Greece at 5 a.m. Eastern time, followed by Serbia vs. Australia at 8:30 a.m., France vs. Canada at noon and the U.S. vs. Brazil at 3:30 p.m. The Germany-Greece winner will face the France-Canada winner in one semifinal, with the Serbia-Australia winner taking on the U.S.-Brazil winner in the other.

It’s the best possible draw for Team USA, which clinched the top seed with a 21-point win over Puerto Rico earlier today. The Americans, who were 3-0 in Group C, won’t have to face the unbeaten Germans or Canadians or the host French until the gold medal game.

They’ll start with a Brazilian team that went 1-2 in Group B, with its only win coming against Japan. Vitor Benite is Brazil’s leading scorer in the Olympics at 14.3 PPG, while Bruno Caboclo leads in rebounds at 7.3 per game and Yago Santos is tops in assists at 6.0 per game.

Germany breezed through the competition in Group B, compiling a +47 point differential that was second only to Team USA. Led by Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner, the reigning FIBA world champions are trying to cement their place as an international basketball power. To advance, they’ll have to get by a Greek team led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been dominant in the Olympics, averaging 27.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in three games.

Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic leads Serbia, which went 2-1 in Group C and lost only to the United States. Jock Landale has been Australia’s top player so far, averaging 17.7 points and 9.7 rebounds, but the Boomers feature a roster loaded with NBA talent such as Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Dante Exum and Patty Mills.

Canada, which is trying to win its first-ever Olympic basketball medal, also has a roster packed with NBA players. RJ Barrett (21.0 PPG), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19.0) and Dillon Brooks (14.3) have been the leading scorers as they swept through Group A, which was billed as the toughest grouping. The host French have been mildly disappointing, even at 2-1, but they’ll have a chance to exploit the size of Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert against the smaller Canadian team.

Olympic Notes: Holiday, Germany, Canada, Daniels

August 3rd, 2024 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

With its win on Saturday over Puerto Rico, Team USA clinched the top seed entering the quarterfinals of the men’s basketball tournament at the Olympics and will face Brazil in the first game of the single-elimination portion of the event on Tuesday.

According to head coach Steve Kerr, Jrue Holiday will be ready to go on Tuesday after not playing against Puerto Rico on Saturday, tweets Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Holiday was ruled out due to an ankle injury, but it sounds like the issue is relatively minor.

At least one or two stars on the U.S. roster were DNP-CDs in each of the club’s first two games, so not having Holiday active allowed all 11 other players to see the floor on Saturday. Anthony Edwards led the way with a team-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting, while five other Americans scored in the double-digits.

Here are a few more Olympic notes:

While they’ve been somewhat overshadowed at the Olympics by teams with more NBA players or more recognizable stars, the Germans are the reigning World Cup champs and went undefeated in their three pool-play games, with a point differential (+47) that ranks second behind Team USA. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com lays out the reasons why Germany remains a serious medal threat, starting with rising star Franz Wagner.
Canada faced a tough lineup of games in pool play, but after registering wins over Australia, Spain, and Greece, head coach Jordi Fernandez believes those challenging first-round matchups better equipped his team for what’s to come. “We’ve played with a Game 7 mentality because we played the toughest pool in the Olympics,” Fernandez said. “We’re more prepared than other teams who probably had big leads. We haven’t had those big leads, and even at times when we had them, these teams were so competitive that came back. I like where we’re at. This ‘group of death’ will help us be more prepared for the quarterfinals.”
Australia went just 1-2 in the so-called group of death, but their point differential was strong enough to earn them a spot in the quarterfinals. Olgun Uluc of ESPN shares his takeaways from the Boomers’ performance through three games and considers what areas they’ll need to improve to have a shot at a medal. On the plus side, Dyson Daniels has been a revelation so far this summer, Uluc writes — in addition to handling the most challenging defensive assignment on the perimeter, the Hawks guard has averaged 11.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game with a .417 3PT%.