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Northwest Notes: Blazers’ Staff, Edwards, Thunder Bench

May 5th, 2024 at 6:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers are shaking up Chauncey Billups’ coaching staff. They are not renewing the contracts of lead assistant Scott Brooks or Chauncey’s younger brother Rodney Billups, Aaron Fentress of the Oregonian reports. They now have three vacancies on the staff, since Steve Hetzel recently departed to join the staff of new Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez.

We have more on the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards torched Denver’s defense for 43 points in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday. Edwards received good news from the NBA on Sunday, as the technical he was assessed during the third quarter has been rescinded by the league, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. Edwards was given the tech for staring down Reggie Jackson.
The Thunder–Mavericks series begins on Tuesday and Thunder beat writer Ryan Stiles believes the Oklahoma City’s bench could be a deciding factor. They can call on Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Gordon Hayward and Kenrich Williams to provide an impact,
In another piece from Stiles, he explores six other storylines to watch in the Thunder–Mavericks series.

Jason Kidd, Ty Lue Unlikely To Be Candidates For Lakers’ Job

May 5th, 2024 at 5:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Don’t expect Jason Kidd or Tyronn Lue to replace Darvin Ham as the Lakers’ head coach, Marc Stein reports in his latest Stein Line notes package.

Kidd, who has one year left on his contract with the Mavericks, will likely receive a contract extension in the near future after the team advanced to the Western Conference semifinals, according to Stein’s sources. Kidd was a top Lakers assistant coach under Frank Vogel.

As previously reported by ESPN, the Clippers are expected to pursue an extension with Lue, who also has one year remaining on his deal. Lue has stated he’s eager to sign an extension with their organization.

That would block not only the Lakers but the Suns from making a run at Lue. It’s also believed that the Cavaliers would be interested in a Lue reunion if they decide to change coaches. However, J.B. Bickerstaff strengthened his resume as the Cavs rallied to win Game 7 against Orlando on Sunday and advanced to the second round.

That’s why it’s not a far-fetched notion that J.J. Redick has a shot to replace Ham, Stein adds, despite Redick’s lack of coaching experience. Redick, who is also a candidate for the Hornets’ opening, is currently an ESPN analyst and podcaster after a long NBA career.

Like Kidd, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison is also on course for a contract extension from new Mavericks majority owner Patrick Dumont, Stein says.

Harrison’s trade-deadline acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford helped the team win 50 games again during the regular season and claim the No. 5 seed in the West. His risky acquisition of Kyrie Irving last season has worked out even better than most NBA observers anticipated.

Central Notes: Pistons’ Depth, Trade Options, Mitchell

May 5th, 2024 at 4:17pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The depth of this season’s playoff rosters serves as a reminder that the Pistons are severely lacking in that department, suggests Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.

Sankofa points to the five rotation players on the West’s top-seeded Thunder who went undrafted or were second-round picks as something of an indictment on Detroit’s inability to find much value at that stage of the draft (or after the draft) in recent years. Sankofa also takes current lead front office architect Troy Weaver to task for whiffing on several deeper picks and fringe roster free agency signings during his tenure.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

The Pistons seem poised to try to make significant personnel changes this summer, opines James Edwards III of The Athletic. Edwards and a few other staffers on The Athletic break down potential trade targets and packages for the rebuilding club, including former All-Stars like Brandon Ingram and Lauri Markkanen.
Even with rumors swirling around Donovan Mitchell‘s long-term future with the Cavaliers, the star guard managed to pull off a winning performance in the team’s Game 7 comeback victory against the Magic on Sunday, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. After pouring in 50 points in a losing Game 6 effort against Orlando, Mitchell scored 39 points in Sunday’s 106-94 elimination contest win. Thus far in these playoffs, he’s averaging 28.7 PPG on .459/.250/.824 shooting, with 5.0 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.4 SPG.
In case you missed it, long-injured Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball picked up his $21.4MM player option for the 2024/25 season, as had long been expected.

Atlantic Notes: Batum, Nets, Ex-Raptors, Celtics-Cavs

May 5th, 2024 at 3:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Sixers forward Nicolas Batum kept things fairly open when it came to talk of his potential NBA retirement, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The 35-year-old is now a free agent, having wrapped up his two-year, $22.6MM contract at the end of Philadelphia’s 2023/24 season. There were rumors prior to the season that it could be his last in the NBA.

Batum told gathered media that he is, for now, just thinking about playing for his native Team France in this year’s Paris Olympics. He then reflected on his initial impressions of the Sixers.

“One thing I’ve learned is Philly is not for everybody, though,” Batum said. “You’ve got to be ready to play for that city, and I loved it. … I could feel the passion of this city for sports, for the Sixers. And I [felt] it right away, my first game against the Wizards. I [came] in and could feel it… And those fans, even when they’re not happy, you get booed, but I understand why. … I tried to [say to myself], ‘OK, they’re right. Because we suck right now, so we’ve got to play better.’”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Nets are set to retain assistant coach Jay Hernandez under new head coach Jordi Fernandez, but will be parting ways with assistants Will Weaver and Ronnie Burrell, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
A pair of beloved former Raptors championship-era teammates, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, are set to square off against one another for the first team in an impending matchup between the former’s Knicks and the latter’s Pacers, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “Yeah, it’ll be weird,” Anunoby said this weekend. “I never played against him. He’s always been my teammate, so it’ll be weird, but it’ll be cool, I’m sure. He’s looking forward to it, too.”
The NBA has revealed its full schedule for the Celtics’ second-round series against the Cavaliers. Game 1 will tip off on Tuesday, in Boston, at 6 p.m. CT via TNT. They’ll meet again for Game 2 on Thursday, at the same time, on ESPN. The series will move to Cleveland for Game 3 on Saturday, and will start a bit later, at 7:30 p.m. CT, on ABC. A start time for Monday’s Game 4 has yet to be announced.

Northwest Notes: Connelly, Edwards, Murray, Nuggets

May 5th, 2024 at 1:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nuggets-turned-Timberwolves team president Tim Connelly has reconfigured Minnesota to be potential giant-slayers against the reigning champs, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Connelly has made some major changes to the team since taking over the front office in 2022, most notably acquiring former Jazz stars Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert, plus swingman Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

As Amick notes, Connelly’s decision to emphasize an oversized frontcourt seemed like a direct response to two-time MVP Denver center Nikola Jokic. Connelly has, for now, been striving to retain incumbent big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid, the latter of whom he signed to a three-season, $42MM contract as a free agent in 2023.

Following an uncharacteristic 106-99 Game 1 Denver loss to Minnesota, Jokic himself praised the opposition’s flexibility.

“I think that’s why they’re good,” Jokic opined. “They can play big. They can play small. …They’re long, physical. They rebound really well. They’re aggressive. I’m satisfied with the shots that I took. Some of them I missed. Some of them I made. So it’s a tough game, and they’re a really good defensive team.”

For his part, three-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert appeared to be reveling in the challenge of trying to contain – or at least slow – Jokic.

“I mean, to me, he’s the best player in the world,” Gobert told Amick. “He’s soon to be a three-time MVP for a reason, but I think my abilities are unique in the way I can impact the basketball game. That’s why I’m really grateful for Tim Connelly and all these guys for believing in me, bringing me in this situation to help this team become a championship team and be a top defense. That’s who I try to be every day.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards has been looking positively Michael Jordan-esque during Minnesota’s playoff run thus far, opines Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. As Thompson writes, Edwards has been used a variety of patented moves, on both ends, that emulte the former Bulls great’s signature style — from clutch fadeaway jumpers to thorough perimeter defense to extended mid-air hang time.
Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray, struggling with a calf strain, has also been dealing with some shooting inconsistencies for much of these playoffs to this point. Those issues popped up again during Denver’s Game 1 defeat against the Timberwolves, according to Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post. During the Nuggets’ five-game first round series against the Lakers, Murray made just 40% of his field goal attempts and 29.4% of his three-pointers. Against Minnesota, the Kentucky vet scored 17 points on just 6-of-14 shooting from the floor.
Now trailing 1-0 to the Timberwolves in their second round playoff series, the Nuggets find themselves playing catch-up in a series for the first time in years, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. As Jones notes, Minnesota is one of the few teams with the kind of big, physical roster that’s truly capable of giving Denver trouble throughout the course of a series. The Nuggets will face the challenge of containing Edwards’ athletic, three-level scoring, in particular, while Minnesota’s frontline is able to at least somewhat mitigate the efficacy of Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr.

Central Notes: Toppin, Pacers, Allen, Pistons

May 5th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Pacers forward Obi Toppin doesn’t view the upcoming series with the Knicks as a chance to get revenge on the team that traded him last summer, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Toppin appeared to have a bright future in New York after being selected with the eighth pick in the 2020 draft, but he was stuck behind Julius Randle on the depth chart. He got an expanded opportunity in his first season with Indiana and averaged career highs with 10.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per night.

“I feel like I’m preparing myself just like I did for Milwaukee,” Toppin said, referring to the first-round series that the Pacers won in six games. “Just locking into everything the coaches are telling us to do offensively and defensively, and playing my role.”

Toppin started 28 games this season, but he’s primarily a mainstay of Indiana’s second unit. He’s coming off one of his best games with 21 points and eight rebounds in the closeout victory over Milwaukee. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said the organization recognized Toppin’s value while he was there, but he was never going to get the chance to fully develop his game with Randle on the roster.

“We always thought he was a good player,” Thibodeau said. “I don’t think anything has changed. Very athletic, runs the floor great, shoots the ball, can score the ball. He’s always been able to score. Like I said, we loved having him. He was in a situation here where he’s playing behind Julius. So that was the story behind that.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Brian Lewis of The New York Post looks at how the Pacers were able to rush through the rebuilding process. It began at the 2022 trade deadline when Tyrese Haliburton was acquired from Sacramento in exchange for Domantas Sabonis. Another building block was added the following summer when Indiana sent Malcolm Brogdon to Boston for Aaron Nesmith. “Look, when we had to basically squash this thing two-and-a-half years ago and start over, when you start using the ‘R’ word, it can get ugly. There are teams that were rebuilding for nine years,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “(Team president Kevin Pritchard) and (general manager Chad Buchanan) struck gold with Tyrese and it turned out to be a great trade for Sacramento. And then the Nesmith trade was another important piece. … It’s been super fun with this group. When you work with a guy like Tyrese Haliburton on a day-to-day basis, there’s nothing better.”
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen will miss today’s Game 7 with a rib injury, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Allen has been unavailable since Game 4. Isaac Okoro, who started Game 5 but was replaced by Marcus Morris in Game 6, will be back in the starting lineup, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Pistons‘ search for a new president of basketball operations should accelerate soon, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. He notes that some of the candidates Detroit wants to interview have been involved in playoff runs, making it difficult to get permission from their teams.

Mavs’ Maxi Kleber To Be Reevaluated In Three Weeks After Shoulder Separation

May 5th, 2024 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

MAY 5: An MRI revealed that Kleber suffered a right shoulder AC joint separation, the Mavericks confirmed (via Twitter). His condition will be reevaluated in three weeks.

MAY 4, 2:22pm: Kleber has been diagnosed with a full dislocation of the AC joint in the right shoulder, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, Kleber will be out for a “significant” period of time — perhaps the entire postseason.

MAY 4, 1:08pm: Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber is undergoing an MRI to assess the severity of the right shoulder sprain he sustained in Friday’s Game 6 win over the Clippers, a source tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).

Kleber suffered the injury early in the second quarter when he drove to the basket to attempt a layup and was fouled by Clippers wing Amir Coffey (video link). Kleber fell to the floor hard, landing on his right shoulder. He stayed in the game to shoot his free throws, making one of two, but then immediately checked out and didn’t return.

As we relayed earlier today, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters after the game that he wasn’t sure if the injury would cause Kleber to miss time or how long he might be sidelined, adding that the team will take a “next man up” approach.

Still, if Kleber is unable to suit up when the Mavericks’ second-round series vs. Oklahoma City tips off, it would be a meaningful loss for Dallas. The German was one of the club’s most-used reserves in the first round, averaging 5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 19.3 minutes per game off the bench. He’s a solid frontcourt defender who knocked down 10-of-18 three-pointers (55.6%) vs. the Clippers.

Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington would be among the candidates for increased roles if Kleber misses time, with Dwight Powell – who only played garbage-time minutes in round one – moving up the depth chart.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Harris, Wizards, Adebayo, Butler

May 5th, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The playoff experience that the young Magic players were excited to get now includes the intense pressure of a Game 7, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando faces Cleveland this afternoon with the season on the line for both squads, and Wendell Carter Jr. believes he and his teammates are in the right frame of mind for a victory.

“We didn’t come all this way to just lose a Game 7,” Carter said.

Beede notes that for the Magic to win, they’ll have to find a reliable source of offense. Orlando has lost all three games at Cleveland so far and has the second-worst offensive rating on the road in the playoffs, slightly ahead of the Cavaliers.

“We kind of look at it as another game,” Carter said. “There’s a little bit more urgency, of course, but we never want to get too high or too low for games like this. That’s what the great players do. As a unit, we’re super excited to be in this position.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic will have Gary Harris available for Game 7, Beede tweets. The veteran swingman had been listed as questionable after missing Game 6 with a strained right hamstring. Coach Jamahl Mosley declined to tell reporters whether Harris will start or come off the bench.
This offseason marks the next step in the Wizards‘ rebuilding process that team president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins began last summer, observes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. After they were hired, the focus was on ridding the team of high-priced vets such as Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. Now they’ll try to build up the roster, starting with another high lottery pick in this year’s draft. “It won’t be an easier an offseason, it will be a [different offseason]. We did a lot of heavy lifting last offseason and we moved humongous features of the organization,” Winger said. “We don’t necessarily have to do that this offseason. So, this offseason is probably a lot of incremental moves whereas last offseason was a few significant moves.”
Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel looks at important dates for the Heat‘s offseason. Two of the most significant are July 6, when Bam Adebayo will become eligible for a three-year, $165MM extension (which could be much larger if he wins Defensive Player of the Year or is named to an All-NBA team) and July 7, when Jimmy Butler will be eligible for a two-year, $112.9MM extension.

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Kornet, Free Agency, Pritchard

May 5th, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

There’s still no timetable for Kristaps Porzingis to return from the right soleus (calf) strain that knocked him out of the Celtics‘ first-round series, but he’s optimistic that he’ll be back at some point in the playoffs, according to Jared Weiss and Jay King of The Athletic. Addressing reporters Saturday for the first time since the injury, Porzingis said he’s hoping to recover at a “historic rate.”

“It’s something; it’s not nothing. So it will take a little bit of time, for sure,” he said. “But I’m doing everything I can to speed it up because I want to be back out there as soon as possible. But, understanding like, the worst thing would be like probably to re-aggravate that. So being smart.”

Weiss and King talked to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daniel Kharrazi, who said the Grade 2 strain that Porzingis suffered usually comes with a two- to three-week prognosis for recovery. That means there’s a decent chance Porzingis could be ready for the Eastern Conference finals if Boston gets there.

Porzingis said he’s been aggressive in the rehab process and explained that the injury occurred when he stepped on Tyler Herro‘s foot while chasing a rebound and rolled his left ankle. He began compensating with the other leg and felt the strain.

“You saw my reaction on the court. Then once we got the diagnosis, I calmed down,” Porziņģis said. “It looks like it’s not as bad as I initially thought. Yeah, it is what it is. Nobody wants to get hurt. But at least it’s like not as bad as it could’ve been.”

There’s more from Boston:

Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta will likely see their roles expanded in the second round with Porzingis unavailable, notes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Kornet, who’s expected to be the first big man off the bench against either Cleveland or Orlando, said Porzingis is helping to inspire his teammates while he’s out of action. “He’s staying engaged and as we’re going through practice, he’s always there paying attention, and also he’s just a great connective type of guy,” Kornet said. “So I feel like his energy in here, in the weight room, kind of remains consistent throughout. Just a great part of being engaged and right now he needs to prepare himself for when he is available and then also just for our group to stay locked in day-to-day.”
In a mailbag column, Brian Robb of MassLive projects Kornet to return to the Celtics on a team-friendly contract – probably a multiyear deal – next season. Robb notes that keeping the free agent big man will be a priority to help ease the burden on veteran center/power forward Al Horford.
Payton Pritchard often felt like an outsider during the Celtics’ playoff run last season with little playing time available in a veteran backcourt, Weiss adds in a separate story. Pritchard has become a valuable offensive spark off the bench and is relieved that the “dark days” are now behind him. “I think that’s really what it comes down to, all the work, the hours I’ve put in it’s just built confidence,” he said. “Now I just feel like I can go against anybody.”

Timberwolves Notes: Edwards, Game 1, Reid, Gobert

May 5th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Edwards is putting up historic numbers, and the Timberwolves suddenly look like a legitimate threat to the defending champs, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Edwards sc0red 43 points in Minnesota’s Game 1 victory at Denver Saturday night, joining Kobe Bryant as the only other player 22 or younger with back-to-back 40-point games in the playoffs. His 119 points over the Wolves’ past three postseason games are the most in franchise history.

“To be honest, he’s a special player, I have huge respect for him, he can do everything on the floor,” Nikola Jokic said of Edwards. “You need to give him respect, how good and how talented he is.”

Edwards connected on his first five shots from the field as Minnesota made an early statement by taking an 18-4 lead. He finished 17-for-29 with seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks. He also radiated the confidence that the Wolves will need to pull off the second-round upset.

“It’s not about introducing ourselves to nobody. We know who we are,” Edwards said. “We’re coming out and as long as we got each other’s backs, it don’t really matter what anybody else thinks.”

There’s more on the Timberwolves:

In a post-game interview with TNT (video link), Edwards credited his Team USA experience last summer with helping to prepare him for big moments. Edwards emerged as one of the stars for the U.S. in the FIBA World Cup and he’s expected to play a major role at this year’s Olympics.
Even with Minnesota’s fast start, it took a strong performance from Naz Reid to get to the finish line, notes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. With Karl-Anthony Towns in foul trouble, the Sixth Man of the Year had 14 points in the fourth quarter as the Wolves took the lead for good. Reid is eager for the opportunity after missing last season’s playoffs with a wrist injury and barely playing in the 2022 postseason due to personal issues. “I just never gave up. I just fight, fight,” he said. “… Being undrafted kind of got me that edge that I have now. I have my teammates. They kept me up the whole time.”
Minnesota also found ways to frustrate Jokic in Game 1, Hine adds in a separate story. Even though the two-time MVP had 32 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, the Wolves forced him to turn the ball over seven times and were able to disrupt his usual offense late in the game. “Jokic is a very, very smart player, but I think I’m a very smart defender, too,” Rudy Gobert said. “Sometimes you’re going to win some of these, sometimes I’m going to win some of them, and just always try to stay a step ahead in those situations.”