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Rondae Hollis-Jefferson To Play In Philippines

August 29th, 2023 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who is currently representing Jordan at the 2023 World Cup, confirmed to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Twitter link) that he’ll re-sign with Tropang Giga of the Philippine Basketball Association for the 2023/24 season.

“The season ends in February, so I’m open to anyone who wants to call,” Hollis-Jefferson said, adding that his agreement with the Philippine team includes an NBA out clause.

Hollis-Jefferson spent six seasons in the NBA with Brooklyn, Toronto, and Portland after being drafted 23rd overall in 2015. However, has hasn’t played in the league since the 2020/21 season, having competed in Turkey, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the Philippines since then. He initially joined Tropang Giga in February.

While an NBA return at this point may be a long shot for the 28-year-old, he has certainly been making a case with his play at the World Cup in the last few days. Although Jordan has lost its first two games and won’t advance to the second round of the tournament, Hollis-Jefferson has averaged 31.5 points on 54.3% shooting in those two losses. Only Luka Doncic of Slovenia has a higher scoring average so far at the World Cup.

Hollis-Jefferson and Jordan will face the U.S. in the final game of the group-play first round on Wednesday.

Collin Sexton Hoping To Earn Jazz’s Point Guard Job

August 29th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

The competition to become the Jazz‘s starting point guard is expected to be wide open entering training camp this fall, with Collin Sexton, Kris Dunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, Jordan Clarkson, and even rookie Keyonte George all considered candidates for the job.

Appearing at the Powder League, a popular pro-am summer league in Utah, Sexton told Tony Jones of The Athletic that he intends to do all he can to prove that he deserves that starting point guard role following an injury-plagued 2022/23 season.

“I want to show that I’m back and healthy and 100 percent,” Sexton said. “Every year for me is important, so I don’t put too much pressure on myself from that standpoint. I’m my biggest critic, so I’m always going to have a lot of expectations for myself.

“I’ve been watching a lot of film this summer. I want to be able to try and take over the point guard role. I want to show them that I can run the show. I’m getting back into the groove of things. I think this season is going to be fun.”

Mike Conley was Utah’s starting point guard last season until the trade deadline, when he was sent to Minnesota in a three-team deal that also included the Lakers. The Jazz acquired Russell Westbrook in that trade, but he was bought out before ever appearing in a game for the team, opening up the point guard spot.

Although Horton-Tucker finished last season as Utah’s starting point guard, he’s not a traditional distributor. Neither are Sexton or Clarkson, who are both score-first combo guards. Dunn is perhaps the most prototypical point guard on the roster, but he’s on a non-guaranteed contract and has only appeared in 40 games over the past three seasons, so it’s not as if he’ll be handed the job.

Sexton has shown off an impressive ability to score over the course of his five-year career, posting 19.0 points per game on .464/.380/.826 shooting. However, he has averaged just 3.2 assists – compared to 2.4 turnovers – in his 266 regular season contests, and is undersized as a defender. Still, he’s confident he can handle the duties required of a point guard.

“When it comes to making the right plays, I know that I’m capable of doing it,” Sexton said. “I just have to go out and do it. But knowing this season is going to be important for me and for us as a team, I’m excited. I think that we have a chance to be really good.”

Sexton was limited to 48 appearances last season and started just 15 of them. While the 24-year-old would like to start more often this season, he’s willing to accept a reserve role if it’s for the good of the team.

“Everyone has to buy in for a common goal this season, and that’s to win,” he told Jones. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. If we win, everything takes care of itself. And if we win, everybody eats. So that’s the way that we all have to look at things going into camp and into the season.”

Community Shootaround: Chris Paul

August 28th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Steve Kerr is busy coaching Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. When he comes back and returns to the sidelines for the Warriors, he’ll have an interesting lineup decision.

Golden State still has all of its usual starters — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney — on the roster. It’s a group that won a championship two seasons ago.

The acquisition of Chris Paul now creates a dilemma. The future Hall of Fame point guard has appeared in 1,214 regular season games. He’s started all of them, even during his rookie campaign for New Orleans in 2005/06.

It’s safe to assume Curry and Green will remain in the lineup. Thompson has started every game since his second NBA season. Wiggins went through some personal issues last season but he’s started every game in his NBA career.

Looney would be the logical candidate to lose his starting job, though that would leave the Warriors with an awfully small lineup. Looney’s defense and rebounding are key components to the team’s success. If he comes off the bench, it may be difficult to have both Jonathan Kuminga and free agent Dario Saric in the rotation.

At this stage of his career, Paul might be willing to be a sixth man in order to get that elusive ring he’s been chasing. But it would still seemingly be an uncomfortable spot for a player of his stature.

That brings us to our topic of the day: Should Chris Paul start for the Warriors this upcoming season? If he’s in the lineup, which of the returning players should come off the bench?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Eastern Notes: McMillan, Washington, Giannis, Marks

August 28th, 2023 at 8:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jamelle McMillan, the son of longtime NBA coach Nate McMillan, has been named the head coach of the Pistons’ G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports.

McMillan has a connection to new Pistons head coach Monty Williams. He was on Williams’ staff in New Orleans and most recently was part of his father’s staff in Atlanta.

“The number one thing for me is not trying to be either one of those guys because that’s a really, really tall task for any coach,” McMillan said of his coaching mentors. He replaces DJ Bakker, who has left the Pistons organization and joined the Bucks’ coaching staff.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Hornets restricted free agent P.J. Washington was in limbo most of the summer until agreeing to a three-year, $48MM contract over the weekend. Talks were stagnant for more than a month, according to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer, until heating up over the past week after the 2023/24 schedule was released. Washington could have signed a qualifying offer and headed to unrestricted free agency next summer but instead decided to play it safe and get the security of a three-year deal.
Giannis Antetokounmpo said he won’t sign an extension this offseason and might consider joining another organization if he feels like the Bucks aren’t perennial title contenders. Could that factor into the Heat’s thinking regarding a trade for Damian Lillard? Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel doubts it, noting they can’t put Jimmy Butler (player option in the summer of ’25) on hold for a season or two to see if the Bucks’ superstar asks for a trade and eventually becomes a free agent. However, Winderman also notes that if the Heat don’t trade for Lillard, they could retain the assets they’d have to give up in a trade with the Blazers and use them for another blockbuster move.
The Nets no longer have the superstar power but they’ve got a lot of interesting young pieces and GM Sean Marks is excited to see how they’ll fit together, Anthony Puccio of Nets Daily relays. “We have all put ourselves in a position to have an exciting few years here where we’ve got a much younger roster than we’ve had in the past and a lot of guys have chips on their shoulders which I think is pretty important,” Marks told Jason Prime of New Zealand’s Weekend Sport on OMNY FM. “They’re pretty self-motivated. They don’t need to listen to me or anyone else for that matter for motivation. They’ve got something to prove.”

World Cup Notes: France, Latvia, Aldama, Blatt

August 28th, 2023 at 7:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Team France general manager Boris Diaw said the two losses that eliminated the team from World Cup contention were troubling in different ways, according to Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.net.

“The two games were very different. First game against Canada, a team that plays very tough,” he said. “I think the concern there was that we gave up at the end of the game. On the way to losing the game. You don’t want to lose by 30 by giving up in the last minutes. That was one concern. Latvia was different. This is a game where we could’ve really played together. But we didn’t play all the way until the end and didn’t play smart enough to win.”

We have more updates from the FIBA World Cup international competition:

Speaking of Team Latvia, former NBA forward Rodions Kurucs called the win over France “amazing” and cited his team’s toughness and togetherness for the upset win, according to Stroggylakis. “I played the whole game fighting on defense,” he said. “We were sharing the ball really well. Every 50-50 ball, every rebound, we fought for it.”
Following Spain’s win over Brazil, Grizzlies big man Santi Aldama spoke to Stroggylakis about his national team’s winning culture. “I think the winning part is secondary,” Aldama said. “Meaning, the culture here that’s really good. And I think that’s what makes this team a winning team. That’s what we have to built on. We work very hard every day, we have to continue doing that and let it talk through our game.”
Canada is 2-0 heading into its game against Latvia on Tuesday. Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt is a general consultant for the Canadian team and spoke of its aims to Stroggylakis. “I’m a part of a great organization and I’m happy to be a part of what we’re trying to accomplish here with Canada basketball. And that’s becoming a team of the highest level in the FIBA scene and performing well in all competitions we’re part in,” he said.

Western Notes: Kings, Brooks, Jones, Lillard, Timberwolves

August 28th, 2023 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings decided to tweak the roster rather than make major changes this offseason after finally reaching the postseason in the spring. They acquired Chris Duarte in a trade and re-signed Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles. They also signed EuroLeague star Sasha Vezenkov.

Kings coach Mike Brown is excited to have his core group back and is eager to see how they respond to the newfound respect they’ve gained after snapping the franchise’s long playoff drought.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how we can handle the pressure,” the Kings coach said. “It’s flipped now. We’re no longer hunting people; people are hunting us. And there are expectations, so how do we handle that? I believe our guys are ready for it, and with the fans that we have here and the juice they brought last year – let’s go. Let’s get it. I’m excited for Sasha, I’m excited for Chris Duarte, I’m excited about our young guys. It’s good to have the new guys, but I’m more excited about having our guys to be able to run it back and give them the opportunity to grow as a nucleus than anything else.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Grizzlies allowed Dillon Brooks in free agency and traded Tyus Jones. So what have they lost? Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal explores that topic. The Grizzlies have become known for their flashy style and trash talking and Brooks was a major reason for that. Jones was a locker room leader and led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio in each of his four seasons with the club.
Trail Blazers fans want the Damian Lillard saga to be resolved soon. In a poll conducted by Jason Quick of The Athletic, 80.4% want the front office to take the best offer for their longtime All-Star and prioritize the team ahead of Lillard. However, the high-scoring guard was voted as the franchise’s greatest player (51.9%), ahead of Clyde Drexler and Bill Walton.
Anthony Edwards (United States), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Rudy Gobert (France), Kyle Anderson (China), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Canada) and draft-and-stash prospect Matteo Spagnolo (Italy) are participating in the World Cup, while Luka Garza played for Bosnia and Herzegovina in a pre-qualifying Olympic tournament. That should give those Timberwolves players a head start to the NBA season, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Alexander-Walker agrees with the notion. “I want to use it to propel me for the season,” he said.

Stein’s Latest: Bahamas, Gordon, Thompson, Jones, Giannis

August 28th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bahamas just had its most successful international run ever, winning a pre-qualifying tournament — and eliminating Argentina in the process — to have a shot at making next summer’s Olympics if the national team can win another six-team tournament.

FIBA drew some criticism for allowing veteran guard Eric Gordon to compete with the Bahamas, as he previously played for Team USA at the 2010 World Cup. However, as Marc Stein writes at Substack, Gordon does have a legitimate tie to the Bahamas — his mother was born and raised in the island nation, and the U.S. granted him permission to switch allegiances, likely due to his advanced age (he’s 34).

Here’s more from Stein:

Stein hears the Bahamian national team isn’t finished recruiting NBA players, with Evan Mobley, Isaiah Mobley and Naz Reid all eligible to represent the country. Stein also wonders if the team will recruit Klay Thompson, whose father, former top overall pick Mychal Thompson, is from the Bahamas.
Like Gordon, Klay Thompson would have to become a naturalized citizen in order to compete for the Bahamian team, and only one such slot is available in FIBA events. Thompson has already won a pair of gold medals with Team USA. His father neither confirmed nor denied that his son might attempt to compete for the Bahamas in the future, simply telling Stein, “We’ll see.”
Derrick Jones Jr. considered signing with the Heat in free agency, league sources tell Stein. The veteran forward, who played two-plus seasons in Miami, instead signed a one year, minimum-salary deal with the Mavericks.
The Lakers and Knicks are among the teams that may intrigue Giannis Antetokounmpo if he were to leave the Bucks in the future, according to Stein. The two-time MVP recently expressed a desire to keep winning championships, wherever that may take him. Antetokounmpo can become a free agent in 2025.

Dairis Bertans Out For Rest Of World Cup With Hamstring Injury

August 28th, 2023 at 2:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Latvia’s Dairis Bertans is expected to miss approximately five weeks after sustaining a partial left hamstring tear in the team’s upset victory against France, the Latvian Basketball Association announced (Twitter link). That recovery timeline means Bertans will miss the remainder of the 2023 World Cup.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Latvia, which will now be without its captain and sharpshooter. The team is already playing without Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, who is dealing with plantar fasciitis.

Through two games at the World Cup, Bertans had scored 28 points in just 21 minutes, converting an incredible 8-of-11 from three-point range. Over his lengthy international career, he has shot 38.9% from deep.

Bertans, 33, is a former NBA guard, having played 12 games for the Pelicans during the 2018/19 season. He’s also the older brother of Thunder forward Davis Bertans, another member of the Latvian national team.

Latvia will face Canada on Tuesday to determine which club will emerge from Group H undefeated — both 2-0 teams have already advanced to the second round.

Bucks’ Thanasis Antetokounmpo Undergoing MRI On Adductor

August 28th, 2023 at 12:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who is currently competing for the Greek national team at the 2023 World Cup, is undergoing an MRI on his left adductor after experiencing discomfort in Greece’s loss to Team USA, reports Harris Stavrou of Sport24.gr (via Twitter).

Antetkounmpo is averaging 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 20.3 minutes through two games at the World Cup. Despite losing to the Americans on Monday, Greece still has a shot at advancing out of Group C — the team will face New Zealand to determine who makes it to the second round.

The 31-year-old has spent the past four seasons with the Bucks and re-signed with Milwaukee in free agency, agreeing to a one-year, minimum-salary deal that’s fully guaranteed. He hasn’t received much playing time over that span, which is why he considered signing with the Knicks this summer, but he ultimately decided to stay in Milwaukee.

Antetkounmpo recently told Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com that he would represent Greece in international competition whenever he was able to.

“This court, for me, is sacred,” he said. “When I step on the court, I play to win, I play to the best of my abilities, and whatever I have to give, I give. And certainly, I enjoy it. I enjoy this feeling in my heart.”

The Greek national team is already shorthanded, as Thanasis’ younger brother, two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, is out for the World Cup after undergoing minor knee surgery in June.

Team USA Notes: Portis, Hart, Jackson, Kerr

August 28th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Team USA continues to look comfortable in the favorite’s role in this year’s World Cup. After going undefeated in five exhibition games, the Americans routed Greece on Tuesday for their second straight double-digit victory in pool play. Austin Reaves, a favorite of the Manila crowd because of his ties to the Lakers, led the way with 15 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Bobby Portis told reporters, including Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops, that the U.S. team quickly formed a bond despite not playing together before training camp began early this month.

“We stand together, obviously, it’s a journey, a long road ahead for us,” Portis said. “Two more weeks left with this team, and hopefully, we can get to the final round. We’ve been together for three and a half weeks now. Nobody complains about playing time, everybody plays for each other, playing for the name you find on this jersey. That’s what this brand is about: playing for each other, going out here, winning and having fun.”

There’s more on Team USA:

Head coach Steve Kerr was especially impressed by Josh Hart, who came off the bench to grab 11 rebounds in 20 minutes against Greece, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Hart missed the first exhibition game while waiting to finalize his extension with the Knicks, but he has become one of the team’s primary reserves. “People ask, what position does he play? He plays winner,” Kerr said. “I don’t know what position he plays, but he gets loose balls. He guards anybody. At one point, Spo (Erik Spoelstra) turned to me and said, ‘Some people get 50-50 balls. He gets to 30-70 balls,’ and I thought that was really well said.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. found himself in foul trouble in the opener against New Zealand, much like he often has with the Grizzlies, observes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year believes he needs to challenge as many shots as he can, but Kerr is encouraging him to be more discerning. “He’s foul-prone in the NBA,” Kerr said. “So, there’s always one or two plays where you just want him to let it go, because he’s too important to us. So we share those clips and just remind him sometimes the best play is to just let the guy go and don’t pick up the foul.”
The American players quickly learned that the international game is officiated differently than the NBA, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Defenders tend to be more aggressive and are allowed to get away with more contact. “Everybody is going to try to beat the crap out of us because that’s their best chance to beat us,” Kerr said.