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Team USA Notes: Lithuania Matchup, Edwards, Kessler, Bridges

September 2nd, 2023 at 9:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Team USA got its toughest World Cup test so far in Friday’s win over Montenegro, and another challenge awaits on Sunday against Lithuania, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The Americans will be the de facto top seed if they can reach the quarterfinal round with a perfect record, but Lithuania is also in contention for that honor after going 3-0 in pool play and crushing Greece on Friday.

The U.S. hasn’t fared well against larger teams, which will be an issue when it faces Jonas Valanciunas and the Lithuanians. Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and 16 rebounds for Montenegro on Friday while getting Jaren Jackson Jr. in early foul trouble. Lithuania is the top rebounding team in the tournament and has six players who are at least 6’9″.

Vardon suggests that head coach Steve Kerr might consider a lineup change, starting either Paolo Banchero or Bobby Portis alongside Jackson to get more size on the court. But that would take away the advantage in transition offense that allows the Americans to get so many fast break points.

“We understand teams are gonna try to be physical and slow the game down, and (Montenegro) did a good job of that,” Kerr said. “But our whole thing is we feel like over 40 minutes, we can wear the other team down if we stay solid.”

There’s more on Team USA:

Anthony Edwards led the rally against Montenegro with 17 points in the second half, notes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The Timberwolves guard has emerged as the team’s primary scoring option, but he’s not making a big deal out of the role. “It’s a team sport,” Edwards said. “If I wanted to punch my chest and do that, I’d go play golf or tennis or swimming like Michael Phelps. I’d go do something that’s an individual sport. But it takes five guys to win a basketball game.”
Walker Kessler thought he might be getting bad news when Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said he had a phone call for him, per Ryan Kostecka of NBA.com. Instead, it was head coach Will Hardy on the other end of the line informing Kessler that he had been selected to the World Cup team. “I was kind of freaking out, thinking I might get traded, but then he said it was coach,” Kessler said. “He then told me congrats on making the USA team. … I was definitely kind of speechless, but here I am.”
Mikal Bridges told Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops that the depth of talent on the U.S. roster creates difficult matchups for other teams. “It makes it so tough to beat,” Bridges said. “Even if the starters struggle, we have guys from the bench who are gonna play better than the starters.”

JaVale McGee Signs With Kings

September 2nd, 2023 at 9:09pm CST by Tristan Tucker

SEPTEMBER 2: The signing is official, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

SEPTEMBER 1: McGee is signing a guaranteed minimum-salary contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

AUGUST 31: Free agent center JaVale McGee is signing with the Kings, according to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The Mavericks officially waived McGee on Tuesday and now he’s set to join another Western Conference contender.

McGee, 35, signed with Dallas last year on a three-year, $17MM deal and opened the year as a starter, but quickly fell out of the rotation altogether. In all, McGee averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 42 games (career-low 8.5 minutes) with the Mavericks. Once it was clear McGee was no longer in the team’s future plans, Dallas cut him loose this offseason and is stretching his remaining salary over the next five years for roughly $2.35MM through 2027/28.

The Kings will hope McGee, a three-time champion, has enough left in the tank to help contribute to a team that ended a 16-season playoff drought last year. McGee is just one season removed from averaging 9.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in Phoenix, where he played in 74 games and made 17 starts.

Sacramento’s interest in McGee was reported shortly after he was waived by Dallas. It’s unclear what kind of deal he’s signing, but it likely isn’t for more than the veteran’s minimum and may not be fully guaranteed.

Sacramento’s roster is stacked with backup centers. Nerlens Noel, Neemias Queta, Alex Len and Skal Labissiere (reported) are likely to compete with McGee for minutes and/or a roster spot. Queta and Noel are in more direct competition with McGee for a roster spot. Len’s roster spot appears safe and Labissiere is joining on a training camp deal with the goal of him playing for the Stockton Kings next year. Meanwhile, Noel has a $300K partial guarantee and Queta has a $250K partial guarantee.

Pelicans Notes: Valanciunas, Lewis, Ingram, Zion

September 2nd, 2023 at 8:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans explored changes at center during the offseason, but it appears Jonas Valanciunas has the starting job locked up heading into training camp, William Guillory of The Athletic writes in a mailbag column. Although defensive issues kept him off the court in late-game situations last season, Valanciunas still provides a reliable presence in the middle with only 11 total missed games over the past two years.

New Orleans reportedly reached out to the Cavaliers this summer about trading for Jarrett Allen, but there’s currently “little traction” on a deal between the teams, according to Guillory. The Pelicans also inquired about Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, but also to no avail.

Valanciunas has an expiring $15.4MM contract, so he’s likely to be the subject of trade rumors until the February deadline. Guillory expects New Orleans to continue to seek upgrades at center by offering a package of Valanciunas, point guard Kira Lewis and draft picks.

There’s more from New Orleans:

An extension for Trey Murphy won’t take effect until the 2025/26 season, so Pelicans management has two more years to determine if the current core can contend for a title, Guillory observes in the same piece. That group, which also includes Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Herbert Jones, showed promised in 2021/22 but fell short of the playoffs last season. The front office will likely try to avoid the luxury tax again this year, Guillory states, but there’s a belief that this is the most talented group the franchise has ever assembled.
Pelicans fans shouldn’t be concerned about Ingram’s struggles with Team USA, Guillory adds. Ingram was recently replaced in the starting lineup because he has failed to mesh with the first unit. Guillory notes that Ingram has already proven his status as an elite player, but says it would help if he could show an ability to adjust to a complementary role because he may be in that position more often on a fully healthy Pelicans team.
Guillory tweeted workout photos of Williamson along with the statement, “Been hearing good things about the work Zion’s putting in this summer.” Guillory added that Williamson is “really focused” on getting ready for a long season and wrote, “Think he’s gonna come in with a chip on his shoulder.” Injuries limited the 23-year-old forward to 29 games last season, and his health is obviously crucial to the Pelicans’ playoff hopes.

World Cup Notes: Canada Vs. Spain, Australia, Finland, Egypt

September 2nd, 2023 at 6:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Spain’s Juancho Hernangomez and Willy Hernangomez are the players that Canada’s Dillon Brooks is most concerned about as the teams prepare for their showdown on Sunday, writes Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops. It’s a high-stakes meeting that will determine who will move on to the quarterfinals and who will be eliminated, and although both nations have rosters loaded with NBA players, Brooks believes the Hernangomez brothers have many ways to control the game.

“They create a lot of mismatches for their team and the other teams,” Brooks said. “We got to match up their physicality and play harder than them.”

Neither team expected to be on the brink of elimination so early, but things changed on Friday as Spain lost to Latvia while Canada fell to Brazil, setting up Sunday’s do-or-die contest. Brooks’ teammate, RJ Barrett, is worried about the advantage that Spain has through more exposure to international competition.

“Their biggest thing is their experience,” Barrett said. “Many of them are EuroLeague champions. They have guys who’ve been playing FIBA basketball basically their whole lives. That’s what we’re going up against.”

There’s more on the World Cup:

Australia needs to evaluate its national team after being knocked out early, contends Olgun Uluc of ESPN. The Australians’ efforts to mix older and younger talent haven’t been successful, Uluc adds, and his solution is to build the team around Josh Giddey, with Patty Mills, Josh Green and Jock Landale holding the only other guaranteed spots for the 2024 Olympics. “I think we’re in the process of change, and style of play — both offensively and defensively — and we’re all disappointed but I’m excited where this thing can go,” coach Brian Goorjian said after his team was eliminated by Slovenia. “Definitely a clearer picture after playing this tournament.” Goorjian’s contract expires after the World Cup, but he’s expected to coach the Boomers in the Olympics, according to Uluc.
Finland appears headed to a pre-Olympic qualifier after defeating Venezuela on Saturday, according to Eurohoops. Lauri Markkanen scored 32 points as Finland picked up its second victory of the tournament.
A two-point loss to New Zealand on Saturday prevented Egypt from earning an automatic Olympic bid, per NetsDaily. The team, which features Brooklyn training camp invite Patrick Gardner, will have to earn a spot through next summer’s qualifying tournament.

Celtics Notes: Backup Center, Mykhailiuk, Brogdon, Free Agents

September 2nd, 2023 at 5:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics completed their search for another wing by signing Svi Mykhailiuk this week, so the next priority should be finding a capable big man to provide depth in the frontcourt, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Boston now has 14 players with standard contracts, one short of the regular season roster limit. Only 11 of those are guaranteed, although Mykhailiuk could become the 12th once the details of his new deal are reported.

Robert Williams and Al Horford will handle most of the minutes at center, but Williams’ injury history and Horford’s age create a need for a quality backup at the position. Washburn suggests Kristaps Porzingis could see some time in the middle, but he’s more effective at power forward and is more comfortable playing away from the basket. Luke Kornet will be in camp, but his contract is non-guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date of January 10.

Washburn identifies Bismack Biyombo and Dewayne Dedmon as available free agents, but states that neither is significantly better than Blake Griffin, who played for the Celtics last season and has expressed an interest in returning. Washburn also mentions former All-Stars Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins, but says the organization doesn’t want to risk team chemistry by bringing in someone who’s unhappy with his role.

There’s more on the Celtics:

Mykhailiuk’s success against Boston may have sparked the organization’s interest, even though he wasn’t among the players who held workouts last month. Playing for the Knicks and Hornets last season, the 26-year-old swingman hit 24 three-pointers against the Celtics, the most of any opponent, according to Luke Scotchie of The Boston Globe. Overall, Mykhailiuk enjoyed the best shooting season of his career from long distance, connecting at 42.4% and making 1.3 per game.
There has been little news about Malcolm Brogdon since he was nearly sent to the Clippers in June in a deal for Porzingis, Brian Robb of MassLive notes in a mailbag column. The team hasn’t provided any updates on Brogdon’s health after he reportedly suffered a torn tendon in his right elbow in the Eastern Conference Finals. Playing again should help resolve any bitterness Brogdon might have over the trade situation, Robb states, but he may be less willing to sacrifice for the organization after nearly being moved.
The Celtics still may have interest in T.J. Warren and Lamar Stevens after bringing them in for tryouts, but they shouldn’t offer more than a partially guaranteed deal to either of them, Robb adds in the same piece.

Andre Drummond Believes He Has Hall Of Fame Case

September 2nd, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on The Comfortable Pod (YouTube link) with Marcus Bagley, Bulls center Andre Drummond was asked about the hiatus he took last season for mental health reasons and admitted that he has found it challenging to go from a franchise player in Detroit to a little-used reserve within the last few years.

While it sounds like the veteran big man has come to terms with his role in Chicago heading into 2023/24, the conversation led to a discussion about Drummond’s professional résumé and his place in NBA history. He was an All-Star in 2016 and 2018, made an All-NBA team in ’16, led the league in rebounds per game four times, is the NBA’s all-time leader in rebound percentage, and won a World Cup gold medal with Team USA in 2014.

“I used to play 40-plus minutes. I was a star — All-Star, All-NBA, I’ve done it. Hall of Fame candidate, best rebounder ever,” Drummond said (hat tip to NBC Sports). “… I’ve done great in my career. I think I have a chance to be a Hall of Fame player due to what I’ve done in my career. Actually, I’m pretty sure I’m in the top 20 for being in the Hall of Fame, so I have a great chance.”

Asked where he’d rank himself compared to other centers in NBA history, Drummond replied, “I’d give myself top 30, top 20. I don’t see why not. I’ve done amazing things in my career.”

Given that Drummond – who is still just 30 years old – averaged a career-low 12.7 minutes per game for the Bulls last season, it may seem outlandish on the surface to consider him a Hall of Fame candidate. But his claim that he’s the best rebounder the NBA has ever seen isn’t without merit.

Drummond has averaged 12.7 rebounds in 28.2 minutes per game across 785 career appearances. Dennis Rodman, widely considered the NBA’s greatest rebounder, averaged 13.1 in 31.7 minutes per night (911 games). The two men rank first and second in league history in rebound percentage, with Drummond (24.85%) comfortably ahead of Rodman (23.44%), for now.

Of course, while he has always excelled as a rebounder, Drummond hasn’t necessarily been elite in other areas of the game. He’s a solid scorer and defender around the basket, but has seen his role reduced in recent years because he doesn’t stretch the floor on offense and isn’t particularly switchable on defense. He also doesn’t have the sort of postseason accolades that bolster a Hall of Fame case — his teams have won just two games in four playoff appearances.

In an earlier era, when NBA teams were built around traditional centers, Drummond would have been in a better position to enjoy a Hall of Fame career. He could still have several more seasons ahead of him to continue building his résumé, but his case will be harder to make in the modern-day game.

Longest-Tenured NBA Head Coaches

September 2nd, 2023 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been an eventful year on the NBA’s coaching carousel. Within the last 12 months, nearly a third of the NBA’s teams (nine of 30) have made head coaching changes.

Those changes impacted four of the eight longest-tenured coaches in the NBA. Mike Budenholzer (Bucks), Dwane Casey (Pistons) and Nick Nurse (Raptors) were among just seven head coaches who had been employed by their respective teams since 2018 (or earlier), but all three were dismissed – or, in Casey’s case, transitioned to a new role – at the end of the 2022/23 season. Monty Williams, who had been with the Suns since the spring of 2019, was also among the coaches let go in the last year.

Given the turnover in the head coaching ranks, it’s time we update our list sorting the NBA’s 30 head coaches by when they were hired. Here’s the current breakdown of the league’s longest-tenured head coaches by team:

Gregg Popovich, Spurs: December 1996
Erik Spoelstra, Heat: April 2008
Steve Kerr, Warriors: May 2014
Michael Malone, Nuggets: June 2015
Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies: June 2019
J.B. Bickerstaff, Cavaliers: February 2020
Tom Thibodeau, Knicks: July 2020
Billy Donovan, Bulls: September 2020
Tyronn Lue, Clippers: October 2020
Mark Daigneault, Thunder: November 2020
Chris Finch, Timberwolves: February 2021
Rick Carlisle, Pacers: June 24, 2021
Chauncey Billups, Trail Blazers: June 27, 2021
Jason Kidd, Mavericks: June 28, 2021
Jamahl Mosley, Magic: July 11, 2021
Wes Unseld Jr., Wizards: July 17, 2021
Willie Green, Pelicans: July 22, 2021
Mike Brown, Kings: May 2022
Darvin Ham, Lakers: June 3, 2022
Steve Clifford, Hornets: June 24, 2022
Will Hardy, Jazz: June 29, 2022
Joe Mazzulla, Celtics: September 2022
- Note: Mazzulla became the Celtics’ interim head coach in September 2022 and was named the permanent head coach in February 2023.
Jacque Vaughn, Nets: November 2022
Quin Snyder, Hawks: February 2023
Ime Udoka, Rockets: April 2023
Nick Nurse, Sixers: June 1, 2023
Monty Williams, Pistons: June 2, 2023
Adrian Griffin, Bucks: June 5, 2023
Frank Vogel, Suns: June 6, 2023
Darko Rajakovic, Raptors: June 13, 2023

While there are no surprises at the very top of this list, Jenkins’ spot in the top five reflects how short the typical tenure for an NBA head coach is — he has moved that high despite having coached the Grizzlies for only four seasons.

Similarly, 20 of the NBA’s 30 head coaches have only been employed by their current teams since 2021 and have no more than two full seasons under their belt.

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Japan Becomes Fourth Team To Qualify For 2024 Olympics

September 2nd, 2023 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Japanese men’s basketball team has claimed a spot in the 2024 Olympics by winning a pair of World Cup classification games against Venezuela and Cape Verde.

The two victories boosted Japan’s record for the tournament to 3-2 (the team also defeated Finland in round one), making it the only FIBA Asia club to win three World Cup games this year.

Just one other FIBA Asia club earned more than a single win at the event — Lebanon picked up victories over Iran and Cote d’Ivoire in the classification games. China and the Philippines each had one win, while Jordan and Iran went 0-5.

Japan played in the 2020 Olympics as the host nation, but hadn’t qualified outright for the Olympics since 1976, so this represents a major achievement for the national team.

The World Cup squad was led by Suns forward Yuta Watanabe (14.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG) and former Washington State big man Josh Hawkinson, a naturalized Japanese citizen who has played professionally in the country’s B.League since 2017 and averaged a double-double (21.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG) in five World Cup contests.

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura – who wasn’t part of the World Cup team but who played in the 2020 Olympics – will be a prime candidate to join next year’s Olympic roster.

A total of seven teams will qualify for the Olympics based on their World Cup results. The top-ranked team from each of Asia, Africa, and Oceania make the cut, as do the top two clubs from both Europe and the Americas.

Although Japan, South Sudan (Africa) and Australia (Oceania) have all been eliminated from World Cup medal contention, they’ve each qualified for the Paris Olympics based on their overall finish. France, the host nation, also receives an automatic Olympic berth, which means four spots are still up for grabs at the World Cup.

Germany, Slovenia, Lithuania, Italy, Latvia, Serbia, and Spain remain in the running for the two Europe spots, while the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico are vying for the two Americas openings.

The teams that don’t qualify for the 2024 Olympics via the World Cup will get one more opportunity to do so at a series of four Olympic qualifying tournaments next year.

Southeast Notes: Johnson, Toppert, Jovic, Heat

September 2nd, 2023 at 11:43am CST by Tristan Tucker

Hawks forward Jalen Johnson took a step forward last season into a rotational role with Atlanta and he’s looking to make another leap next season, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Lauren Williams. Williams writes that Johnson has spent most of his time this offseason working out in Atlanta and Los Angeles, which allowed him to cross paths with LeBron James.

Johnson and James share a trainer in Chris Johnson, and the opportunity arose to train with James. The Duke product said he was trying to learn as much as he could from the future Hall of Famer.

“Before the workout, seeing how he goes about his business,” Johnson said. “Just once he gets the gym, he’s locked in, laser-focused, does his routine and then, as far as drill-wise, [he’s] the best on court. Everything’s precise. Everything’s the right way. Even if he messes up, he messes up and makes a shot, he’s still coming back and doing it the right way.”

And while Johnson spent time trying to pick up on what James was doing from the side, LeBron also outright gave the third-year Hawks forward some advice.

“He’s giving me pointers on how to do certain moves, how to be more effective with certain moves, little tricks, just kind of when we’re working out,” Johnson said. “So, just hearing that from him, having that as someone that I can reach out and ask questions to now, you know, it’s cool.”

Johnson, 21, went from playing in 22 games and averaging 5.5 minutes in his rookie season to 70 games and 14.9 minutes in his sophomore year in the league. In 2022/23, Johnson averaged 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game — he’s in line for even more minutes, following the offseason trade of John Collins.

Atlanta seems primed to blend their veterans with their impressive young talent, including Johnson. Onyeka Okongwu and AJ Griffin appear poised for breakout seasons and the team picked guard Kobe Bufkin with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 draft. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray headline the team, which acquired veterans like Wesley Matthews and Patty Mills this offseason.

But Johnson is just one part of that, and he’s keeping everything in perspective.

“I put in the same work every summer,” Johnson said. “Even if John doesn’t get traded, I feel like it’s the same mentality of trying to kill everybody that’s in front of me. Just kind of got to have that killer mentality as far as no matter what situation that is, just go control what you can control, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards are hiring LSU assistant coach Cody Toppert to become the head coach of their G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski notes that Toppert previously worked with the Suns in the NBA and as a G League coach. Toppert also spent time with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the affiliate of the Rockets, as well as the University of Memphis as an assistant.
Though the Heat don’t have any players on Team USA, Nikola Jovic is putting on a show this summer while playing for Serbia’s national team. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel continues documenting his performances this season. While Jovic has struggled at times, including a five-point showing in a loss to Italy, Winderman suggests Jovic’s stock as a whole continues to rise this summer. Jovic’s best performance of the summer was a 25-point outing against South Sudan. Winderman writes that Jovic’s summer should dispel any notion of the Heat not having enough assets to make a play for Damian Lillard. In another piece, Winderman writes that Jovic’s trade value seems to be comparable to Precious Achiuwa, whom Miami included in the trade for Kyle Lowry.
In a separate piece, Winderman writes that the Heat‘s trade history suggests they ultimately won’t be completely picked clean by any potential Lillard trade. While several huge NBA trades have gone down in the past year including dozens of draft picks, from the Rudy Gobert haul last summer to the Kevin Durant package in February, the Heat have never traded more than two first-round picks for a player. That includes the sign-and-trades for James and Chris Bosh, the Shaquille O’Neal trade, and the Alonzo Mourning deal. While Miami may ultimately have to give into Portland’s demands for Lillard, Winderman writes, they’re justified for not wanting to put everything on the table right away.

Bucks Sign Drew Timme; Sign, Waive Alex Antetokounmpo

September 2nd, 2023 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 2: The Bucks have officially waived Alex Antetokounmpo, per NBA.com’s official transaction log.

The Bucks retain Antetokounmpo’s G League rights and he’ll receive a bonus if he spends at least 60 days with Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. The Athletic’s Eric Nehm first reported that the team would waive Antetokounmpo on Friday.

SEPTEMBER 1: The Bucks have added a third Antetokounmpo brother to their offseason roster, according to RealGM’s official NBA transaction log, which lists Milwaukee as having recently signed Alex Antetokounmpo to a one-year contract.

While terms of the deal aren’t known, it will almost certainly be a non-guaranteed contract, likely with Exhibit 10 language. Such a deal could be converted to a two-way contract or would make Antetokounmpo eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived before the regular season and then spends at least 60 days with the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G League affiliate.

Antetokounmpo, 22, has played in the G League since going undrafted in 2021. The 6’8″ forward spent the 2021/22 campaign with the Raptors 905, then played in Wisconsin last season. In 32 regular season G League games with the Herd in ’22/23, he averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per night, with a subpar shooting line of .372/.247/.559.

Antetokounpmo joins his older brothers Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo on the Bucks’ roster, which has now reached its 21-man offseason limit. The club is carrying 15 players on guaranteed deals, three on (presumed) Exhibit 10 contracts, and three on two-way pacts.

To get to 21 players, Milwaukee also officially signed undrafted Gonzaga forward Drew Timme, whose Exhibit 10 agreement with the team was reported back in June.

Timme spent four college seasons at Gonzaga, building an impressive résumé before declaring for the 2023 draft as an early entrant. He was a three-time consensus All-American and won the WCC Player of the Year award in both 2022 and 2023.

In his final year with the Bulldogs, the 6’10” big man averaged 21.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 31.5 minutes per game across 37 appearances, making 61.6% of his shots from the floor.

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