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Cavaliers Notes: LeVert, Roster Depth, Altman

April 3rd, 2024 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Every game is meaningful for Cavaliers swingman Caris LeVert since his recovery from kidney cancer surgery in 2021, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. LeVert’s condition was discovered during a physical after he was sent from Brooklyn to Indiana in a four-team trade. An MRI on his lower back revealed a small mass on his left kidney, and after undergoing an operation to treat a renal cell carcinoma, he was able to return before the end of the season.

“Obviously, I’m grateful to still be playing basketball, to be honest with you,” LeVert said. “It was something that was super unexpected. It just gave me perspective as to how lucky I am to be doing this for a living.”

LeVert has been able to continue his career since the cancer scare, but he says hydration is more important than ever. He’s playing a valuable role for Cleveland, where he’s a candidate for Sixth Man honors, averaging 13.8 points, 5.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 63 games.

“He’s been extremely important to us because of his versatility, his willingness to sacrifice and come off the bench because he’s an NBA starter,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It changes the dynamic of what we’re able to do with our second unit. His minutes versus second-unit guys typically gives us an advantage. He’s bought into being our best one-on-one defensive player. So, he helps us finish games because we can put him in and he can play both defensive and offensive lineups.

There’s more from Cleveland:

The Cavaliers have a much deeper roster this season, which is why they were able to post a 17-1 stretch despite injuries to Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, notes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Additions such as Max Strus and Georges Niang provide more options than the team had when it got bounced in the first round last year. “You can never have too much talent, but I will say this: I think it’s a testament to our depth,” general manager Koby Altman said. “We knew last summer we would have to make ourselves deeper, making ourselves more explosive, diversifying our offense.”
The Cavs may reexamine everything if they lose in the first round again, but otherwise there’s no reason to believe Altman’s job is in jeopardy, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com states in a mailbag column (subscription required). Fedor argues that the team has overachieved this season considering that virtually every key player has missed time with injuries. He cites the additions of Strus and Niang, the finding of undrafted rookie Craig Porter Jr. and the recent signing of veteran forward Marcus Morris as positive moves by Altman.
Cleveland has to be ready for opponents blitzing Garland and Donovan Mitchell to force the ball out of their hands, Fedor adds in a separate story. That means other players have to be ready to exploit the advantages created by double teaming the ball-handler. “We try to take the play that is there,” Bickerstaff said. “We have enough talent on this team that if we just make the simple play then defenses are going to have to make tough choices. They came out and they were ‘hotting’ us or ‘trapping’ us in the pick and roll, so the play was to get it to the big and let the big do his thing. Our bigs are elite when they catch the ball in the pocket and are capable of making all the plays.”

Southeast Notes: Clifford, Hornets’ Coaching Search, Bogdanovic, Magic

April 3rd, 2024 at 7:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

At a press conference this afternoon, Steve Clifford explained his decision to step down as head coach of the Hornets at the end of the season, write Roderick Boone and Shane Connuck of The Charlotte Observer. Clifford admitted that the team’s lack of success over the past two years, much of which can be attributed to a short-handed roster, played a major role. Charlotte is 45-112 since Clifford returned to the team last summer.

“I’ll just get right to it,” the 62-year-old coach told reporters. “There’s a certain energy level that you need to have a chance to coach effectively in this league. For me, the last couple of years with the losing had been a factor in it. But as we have been meeting and discussing things, I’m just not comfortable that I can — that I’m ready right now to — give the players what they need from a head coach in order to play well every night.”

Clifford is expected to move into a front office job, although the details of that position haven’t been finalized. He also coached the team from 2013-18 and has the most wins in franchise history. Executive vice president Jeff Peterson believes he’ll be an important addition to the management team.

“I think Cliff will become that person who (players) can go to and confide in at times,” Peterson said. “He always shoots it straight, regardless of who you are. You may not like it at the moment, but the players respect that. Having that familiar face and voice — still within the organization — is going to be very valuable.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

In a separate story, Boone evaluates five prominent candidates as the Hornets begin the search for their next head coach. In addition to Celtics assistant Charles Lee and Heat assistant Chris Quinn, who were mentioned earlier, Boone looks at Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney and Nets assistant Will Weaver.
Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic had a heated exchange with coach Quin Snyder late in Monday’s game with Chicago that was audible on the Bulls’ broadcast, but they both dismissed the incident afterward and said their relationship is fine, per Lauren Williams of the Journal-Constitution. “We are doing this almost every other minute or we are verbally fighting all the time, which is normal,” Bogdanovic said. “That means we both care and everyone cares.”
The Magic continue to rely on defense as they fight for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, notes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando posted a 103.1 defensive rating during its just-completed eight-game homestand, which was the best in the league during that time. The Magic limited opponents to 99.4 PPG over those eight games.

Wizards Notes: Bagley, Holmes, Vukcevic, Future In D.C.

April 3rd, 2024 at 6:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

It’s been a season of change for Marvin Bagley III, and it didn’t stop with the January 14 trade that sent him from Detroit to the Wizards, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. Bagley was brought in to be the primary backup to Daniel Gafford, but he moved into a starting role when Gafford got injured. Washington sent Gafford to Dallas at the trade deadline for Richaun Holmes, who took over as the starter, but his recent absence due to a left toe contusion put Bagley back in the starting lineup.

“I’m comfortable now. I think the first few weeks it took me to kind of figure out what guys like to do out there on the court, how guys play a little bit. But now I have a pretty good idea of that, just watching film and playing how many games I’ve played here,” Bagley said. “But just every game figuring it out and I think now I’m at the point where I know what guys like to do, where they like to be out there. I’m just trying to make it easier for them and they make it a lot easier for me. It’s just getting that chemistry together.”

Bagley hasn’t enjoyed much stability in his career, but with one year left on his contract he appears to be a fixture in Washington for at least for another season. The Wizards are happy with the Bagley-Holmes combination, according to Hughes, because they’re similar players who can rebound and be effective in the pick-and-roll. Bagley enjoys being in Washington and believes the experiences he’s had in his career can help him guide younger players.

“I try to be a leader and lead by example,” he said. “I think it’s good to have vets like that in the locker room.”

There’s more on the Wizards:

Bagley won’t need surgery after leaving Tuesday’s game with an injury to his right knee, a team official tells Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Bagley has been diagnosed with a sprain, and interim coach Brian Keefe said he’ll be reevaluated “week to week,” which virtually assures that his season is over.
With Bagley and Holmes both sidelined, rookie Tristan Vukcevic is making his first NBA start tonight against the Lakers, Robbins tweets. This is just the seventh NBA game for Vukcevic, who signed with the Wizards last month after spending most of the season with KK Partizan in Serbia.
It’s been a difficult season for the Wizards, but Tuesday’s win over Milwaukee provides a reason for optimism, Robbins notes in a full story. Washington was able to hold on for a victory against one of the league’s best teams even though it was down to eight healthy players after Bagley left in the second quarter. “It’s a step forward, maybe two steps forward,” Corey Kispert said. “This is the attitude we need to have and the aggression we need to have when we play these kind of games, especially against a championship team like this. Super proud of everybody who played tonight.”
David Aldridge of The Athletic examines the future for the Wizards and the NHL’s Capitals in Washington after owner Ted Leonsis‘ plan to move both franchises to Virginia fell apart.

Celtics Notes: Holiday, Brown, White, Tatum

April 3rd, 2024 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

A harrowing family experience in 2016 helped Jrue Holiday keep things in perspective when he got the surprise news that he had been traded from Milwaukee to Portland last summer, writes Mirin Fader of The Ringer. Eight years ago, Holiday’s wife, Lauren, was diagnosed with a brain tumor while she was pregnant with their first child. Holiday took a leave from the NBA to care for Lauren, and she was able to deliver the baby and later have the tumor safely removed.

Holiday said dealing with that type of life-and-death situation gave him a calmness to accept any basketball fate. He embraced the change, even though his family was settled in Milwaukee and he expected his long-term future to be there after helping the Bucks win the 2021 championship.

“I think it helped me prepare for [the trade],” he said. “Life does hit you in different types of ways at different times, and maybe just subconsciously you learn this lesson. … I know some people get down on life … but I think for me, and I don’t know why—maybe it is because of the support of my family, maybe it is because of my faith — but it’s always turned out to be something that I grew from and made me so much stronger.”

Holiday didn’t have to figure out his future in Portland, as the Trail Blazers dealt him to the Celtics five days later. He welcomed the chance to join another veteran team with title hopes, but he knew he had to figure out the best way to fit in.

“Every team is a puzzle,” Holiday said. “And I’m a part of that puzzle. … So whatever the team needs from me: Some nights it might be scoring, some nights it might be shooting corner threes or being a decoy. It might be setting screens or rebounding. I think that just comes with the type of talent and character that we have on this team.”

There’s more from Boston:

Jaylen Brown is a legitimate candidate for All-Defensive honors, although he might get overlooked because the Celtics have so many high-level defenders, observes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports. Forsberg notes that Brown reminded voters of his defensive prowess on Saturday when he held Zion Williamson to 1-of-6 shooting with three turnovers as the primary defender on the Pelicans star.
The $500K bonus that Derrick White earned by reaching 185 made three-pointers will affect Boston’s cap figure this season and in 2024/25, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. With tax penalties included, Robb estimates that White’s bonus will cost the team more than $1.5MM this year, although he adds that ownership shouldn’t mind paying extra for White’s breakout performance. White has the same bonus in his contract for next season and it’s now considered likely, so his cap hit will be raised to about $20.6MM.
Celtics players weren’t happy with the way they finished the regular season last year and they’re determined not to repeat that mistake, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. “I think last year we were like so antsy to get back to the Finals that we had a few bad losses in the last few weeks of the season,” Jayson Tatum said. “We went to six games in that first-round [series against the Hawks]. We may have took some things for granted. This year we’ve done a really good job of not skipping steps and respecting every day, every game, just trying to get better, as cliché as that sounds.”

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Anderson, Jokic, KCP, Blazers

April 3rd, 2024 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s league office hasn’t taken any public stance on the Timberwolves‘ ownership battle, but has kept up to date on the details of the situation and wasn’t caught off guard when longtime team owner Glen Taylor announced last week that he intended to retain his majority stake in the franchise, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

Within a look at what might be next for the Timberwolves as Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez look to wrest majority control from Taylor, Windhorst shares a few new details on the standoff. Sources tell ESPN that the sales agreement between the two sides is about 50 pages long and features “numerous protections” for Taylor, so his side believes it’s on “firm legal ground” despite claims for the Lore-Rodriguez group that they met all the requirements.

Windhorst also hears from sources that Taylor – who has paid less than $2MM in luxury tax penalties since 2005 – remained very involved in operating the team as the Wolves made several significant financial commitments in recent years that project to take them well beyond the luxury tax line in 2024/25 and beyond. Last fall, for example, he was “haggling over details” in Jaden McDaniels‘ $131MM extension, Windhorst says.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Kyle Anderson has looked like “the Kyle of old” in recent weeks, according to head coach Chris Finch, which has helped key an offensive resurgence for the Timberwolves, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. As Krawczynski details, Anderson has played more power forward during Karl-Anthony Towns‘ absence and often orchestrates the offense when he’s in the game. The veteran wing figures to play a key role in the postseason for Minnesota before becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Despite dealing with some pain in his right wrist and left hip as of late, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic isn’t looking to take any time off as the team attempts to secure the No. 1 seed in the West, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “My goal is to play every game, and that’s my mindset,” Jokic said on Tuesday after matching his season high with 42 points to hold off the Spurs. Denver currently holds the West’s top spot by a half-game over Minnesota and Oklahoma City.
Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette takes a look at Nuggets wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s quest to earn an All-Defensive nod for the first time in his 11th NBA season.
A 10-game losing streak has put the Trail Blazers (19-56) in position to possibly slip below San Antonio (18-58) and Charlotte (18-57) in the standings and finish as a bottom-three team, which would result in the best possible draft lottery odds, notes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.

And-Ones: West, MVP Race, All-NBA, Comanche

April 3rd, 2024 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA legend Jerry West is being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for a third time, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Previously enshrined as a player (1979) and as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team (2010), the 85-year-old has now been elected as a Hall of Fame contributor.

The latest induction into the Hall of Fame recognizes West’s work as a team executive, including general manager stints with the Lakers and Grizzlies, as well as time spent as a consultant for the Warriors and Clippers. West won eight championships in those roles, per ESPN, and won Executive of the Year awards in 1995 and 2004.

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

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is the runaway winner in the latest MVP straw poll conducted by Tim Bontemps of ESPN, earning 85 of 100 first-place votes from the media members who submitted mock ballots. If the real vote emulates Bontemps’ straw poll, the only drama may be whether presumed runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can hold off Luka Doncic for the No. 2 spot. Gilgeous-Alexander has been sidelined with a quad injury as of late while Doncic is coming off a second consecutive Player of the Month award.
Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are all unanimous First Team picks in the tentative All-NBA teams compiled by Josh Robbins, Kelly Iko, and William Guillory of The Athletic. The trio of writers agreed on 12 All-NBA players in total, with Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown, and Stephen Curry also showing up on all three 15-man lists. Domantas Sabonis, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey, and Zion Williamson made multiple ballots, but not all three, with LeBron James earning a spot on only Iko’s ballot.
A March 10, 2025 trial date has been set in Clark County, Nevada for Chance Comanche, the former Stockton Kings player who has been charged with murder, writes Anthony Olivieri of ESPN.com. Comanche and his former girlfriend, Sakari Harnden, face murder and kidnapping charges related to the death of Marayna Rodgers, as we previously detailed.

Southwest Notes: Green, Ivey, Wemby, Popovich, Pelicans

April 3rd, 2024 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Early-morning workouts and late-night phone calls with assistant coach Royal Ivey have been a factor in Jalen Green breakout this season, according to the Rockets guard, but Ivey is happy to give all the credit to Green, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

“It’s all kudos to Jalen,” Ivey said. “I’m just empowering him and encouraging him. He’s doing the work. At the end of the day, that’s a credit to his resiliency, his determination. And not being in that situation before, facing adversity, sitting down at the end of games, not being in (the game) in defensive possessions, he took that personally. This is the result of that.”

Green’s play earlier in the season was up and down, but he has been one of the league’s top scorers in recent weeks, averaging 28.0 points and 3.9 assists on .479/.394/.798 shooting in his past 17 games. Ivey said the former No. 2 overall pick has had the ball in his hands more lately and has looked more comfortable reading defenses and being aggressive.

“I can say his decision-making is A-1, making the right reads,” Ivey said. “And the finishing, it’s been (about) concentration, not looking for fouls. He’s so athletic, if he gets to his launchpad, good things happen. He’s working with his finishing every day. He’s been more assertive to get to that rim. I just think it’s confidence. It goes back to his mindset. That’s everything.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Spurs star rookie Victor Wembanyama admitted he was a bit surprised to be hit with a $25K fine for throwing the game ball into the stands at the end of last Friday’s win over New York, calling it “funny,” according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “When I threw the ball, I thought, ‘Yeah, I remember players being fined for this,'” Wembanyama said. “But they always threw it in a bad way. I threw it to please somebody. It’s not like I was trying to hurt anybody.”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t expect long-tenured Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to call it a career anytime soon, as Orsborn relays. “He was supposed to have retired five years ago, so why would we predict he is going to retire any time soon?” Kerr said when asked if he expects Popovich to fulfill the five-year contract he signed in 2023. “He is still going strong and still doing a great job and loving his work, so I can see it.”
Pelicans head coach Willie Green is still figuring out how to distribute minutes at center as the postseason nears, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. The team has gone back and forth between Jonas Valanciunas and Larry Nance Jr. at the five for much of the season, depending on the matchup. However, Green has also experimented with other options, including using Zion Williamson in that role for the last five minutes of Monday’s game vs. Phoenix, Clark notes.
Green was critical of his defense after it allowed Devin Booker to score 52 points in New Orleans for a second time this season on Monday. “Quite frankly, we were soft guarding him,” the Pelicans‘ head coach said after the game, per William Guillory of The Athletic. “We just had a soft mentality.”

Pitt’s Carlton Carrington Entering 2024 NBA Draft

April 3rd, 2024 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Pitt guard Carlton Carrington is entering the 2024 NBA draft, the school announced today in a press release. The release doesn’t say anything about testing the waters or maintaining his NCAA eligibility, so it sounds as if Carrington intends to go pro.

“After weighing my basketball options with my family and coaches, I have decided to pursue my childhood dream of playing in the NBA,” Carrington said as part of a larger statement. “The growth in my game over the past year and the opportunity to showcase my abilities at Pitt have helped make this a reality. I will miss my teammates and coaches as well as the terrific culture of Pitt Basketball and the support of the University of Pittsburgh community, but am eager continue my growth and development at the next level.”

A 6’4″ point guard, Carrington had a strong freshman season for the Panthers, starting all 33 games he played in his first college season and averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 33.2 minutes per contest.

Carrington, who was named to the ACC’s All-Freshman team, comes in at No. 27 on ESPN’s list of 2024’s top prospects. A better shooting year likely would’ve pushed him even higher — he made just 41.2% of his shots from the floor, including 32.2% of his three-pointers.

Carrington joins our running list of early entrants for the 2024 draft, which can be found right here.

Vince Carter, Chauncey Billups Headline 2024 Hall Of Fame Class

April 3rd, 2024 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups will be part of the 2024 Hall of Fame class, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the former NBA stars are being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The full class of 2024 will be formally announced on Saturday at the NCAA Men’s Final Four, but it’s safe to assume that Carter and Billups will be the headliners of this year’s inductees.

Carter, an eight-time All-Star, was named Rookie of the Year in 1999, made a pair of All-NBA teams, and is one of the league’s most memorable Slam Dunk Contest champions. The veteran swingman is also the only player in NBA history to play 22 seasons (1998-2020) and ranks 24th in career points (25,728).

Carter began his NBA career with the Raptors and then spent several seasons with the Nets before also playing for the Magic, Suns, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Kings, and Hawks.

Billups, meanwhile, made five All-Star games and three All-NBA teams, along with a pair of All-Defensive squads. The point guard won a championship with the Pistons in 2004, earning NBA Finals MVP honors.

Billups, who is now the head coach of the Trail Blazers, was in the NBA for 17 seasons from 1997-2014, spending time with the Celtics, Raptors, Timberwolves, Knicks, and Clippers in addition to the Nuggets and Pistons, for whom he had his best years. He averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per game in 1,043 regular season appearances.

The full list of 2024 Hall of Fame finalists, several of whom may join Carter and Billups in this year’s class, can be found right here.

Providence’s Devin Carter Declares For 2024 Draft

April 3rd, 2024 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

Providence guard Devin Carter has decided to enter his name in the 2024 NBA draft and go pro, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The No. 17 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board, Carter had a big junior year in 2023/24 for the Friars, averaging 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals in 35.3 minutes per game across 33 outings (all starts). He made 47.3% of his shot attempts from the floor, including 37.7% of 6.8 three-pointers per contest.

Carter, who began his college career at South Carolina before transferring to Providence in 2022, led the Big East in scoring and was named the conference’s Player of the Year. He didn’t make one of the Associated Press’ All-America teams, but appeared on multiple ballots, earning an honorable mention.

While he stands only 6’3″, Carter has a 6’9″ wingspan, is an elite rebounder for his position, and is considered one of the most “versatile and impactful” defensive players in college basketball, per Givony. He’s the son of former NBA guard Anthony Carter, who is now an assistant coach on Taylor Jenkins‘ Grizzlies staff.