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Celtics Shifting Robert Williams Into Starting Five

May 11th, 2023 at 5:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Ahead of a potential elimination game tonight in Philadelphia, the Celtics have opted to swap center Robert Williams into their starting lineup for guard Derrick White, per Shams Charania and Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

The Sixers, led by newly-minted league MVP Joel Embiid and veteran point guard James Harden, currently lead Boston 3-2, and have an opportunity to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 22 years with a home victory tonight.

As The Athletic’s duo notes, Williams had served as the team’s All-Defensive Team starting center during Boston’s 2021/22 season, which resulted in an NBA Finals run. Injuries have limited his availability this season, and he has been used in more of a reserve capacity, with White replacing him in a smaller first five.

“Just [gives] us a different look,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said of the switch, Weiss tweets. “Rob gives us a lift on the defensive end.”

Sources inform Charania and Weiss that backup guard Payton Pritchard could also see additional time tonight after enjoying an active run in mop-up duty during the end of a Game 5 blowout loss.

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Central Notes: Pacers, Pistons, Duren, Cavs

May 11th, 2023 at 4:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Indiana will be hosting six prospects on Friday for the team’s first pre-draft workout, the Pacers announced in a press release.

The six players are UConn’s Andre Jackson, UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez, Missouri’s Kobe Brown, Creighton’s Arthur Kaluma, North Dakota State’s Grant Nelson, and Liutauras Lelevicius, a Lithuanian prospect who played for Zalgris II this past season.

Jackson (30), Jaquez (32), Brown (43), Kaluma (90), and Nelson (94) all appear on ESPN’s top-100 prospects list, while Lelevicius is unranked. The Pacers control their own lottery pick, two late first-rounders (26th and 29th), and two second-round picks (either 50th or 32nd, plus 55th).

Here’s more from the Central:

  • Hiring the right head coach, having a successful draft, and acquiring forward depth in free agency are among the top offseason priorities for the Pistons, according to Mike Curtis of The Detroit News (subscriber link), who thinks the team should pursue Nets restricted free agent Cameron Johnson.
  • Pistons center Jalen Duren, who was recently named to the All-Rookie Second Team, was mostly pleased with his debut season, but he’s going to work on his conditioning and consistency in year two, Curtis writes in another subscriber-only story. “Consistency is a huge word,” Duren said. “To be great, you have to be consistent. For me, it’s honestly just being locked in and trying to understand what’s going on. ‘Being where my feet are,’ I like to say, and try to take over games, dominate games and affect games in any way possible. … I feel like that will come. I’m excited about what I can be in this league.”
  • Josh Richardson, Kelly Oubre, Max Strus, Gary Trent Jr. and Jalen McDaniels could be the types of wings the Cavaliers choose to go after in free agency with their mid-level exception, Kelsey Russo states in a mailbag for The Athletic. I don’t see Trent falling to that price point, especially since he could just opt in to his $18.8MM player option if he isn’t confident about getting a better payday, but the other four might be attainable (whether or not they’d be a good fit is another story).
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Suns’ Ayton Out For Game 6; Nuggets’ Murray Questionable

May 11th, 2023 at 2:52pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns have ruled out center Deandre Ayton for Thursday’s pivotal Game 6 against Denver due to the rib contusion he sustained in Game 5, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

On Wednesday, Phoenix ruled out point guard Chris Paul, who is battling a left groin strain, while Ayton was listed as questionable. Something troublesome must have been discovered during his medical evaluation, as the big man has been downgraded to out.

The team will now be playing without two starters in an elimination game, as the Suns trail the Nuggets 3-2 in their second-round series.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (Twitter link) hears that guard Landry Shamet will enter the starting lineup tonight — I’m assuming that will be in place of Cameron Payne, who has been filling in for Paul, and not for Ayton. Backup centers Jock Landale and Bismack Biyombo figure to see extended playing time in the middle with Ayton out.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report argued before the news broke that the Suns would be better off giving the majority of Ayton’s minutes to Landale. Phoenix is minus-59 in Ayton’s 149 minutes in the series, but plus-27 in Landale’s 74 minutes.

The Nuggets might be shorthanded as well. Guard Jamal Murray is questionable with a non-COVID illness that has been traveling through the team, according to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter links).

Murray was unable to participate in Thursday’s shootaround, which was cut short due to the illness that’s going around, but Denver is hopeful he’ll be able to suit up, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Head coach Michael Malone and a “handful of players” are among those who have been affected, Youngmisuk adds.

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And-Ones: Thompson Twins, Dekker, In-Season Tournament, More

May 11th, 2023 at 2:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, twin brothers who bypassed college to compete in the Overtime Elite program, are projected lottery picks in the upcoming 2023 NBA draft. Israel Gutierrez of ESPN recently caught up with the brothers during Game 3 of the first-round series between Atlanta and Boston.

While much of the hype leading up to June’s draft has centered on French phenom Victor Wembanyama, the projected top overall pick, and G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson, a projected top-three pick, Amen says he’s confident he’s one of the top players in the world.

“They always bring up those names, ‘How you going to pass Victor and Scoot, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,” Amen said. “And it’s just like, I’m going to do my thing. I’m going to run my race. And I think if I run my race, I’m one of the best players there is.”

The biggest question marks surrounding Amen and Ausar are the level of competition they faced at OTE and their jump shots, writes Gutierrez. Both players worked extensively on their jumpers over their two years at OTE, but it’s still a focus for improvement going forward.

“I’m improving on shooting, working on pick and roll reads, just reads in general,” Ausar said, per Gutierrez. “My ability to get paint touches, collapse the defense and kick it out for others. Then for myself, just getting open and being able to rise up over defenders and hit a jump shot, or get to the cup.”

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

  • Former NBA forward Sam Dekker, a 2015 first-round pick, has signed a long-term extension with the London Lions of the British Basketball League, the team announced in a press release. The team captain averaged 18.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 2.9 APG during the 7Days EuroCup last fall and is under contract through 2026, per the Lions.
  • Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic spoke to four NBA players who are Premier League fans about the NBA’s new in-season tournament, which will begin next season and was roughly modeled on European soccer tournaments. All four like the idea and believe it could be an interesting way for younger teams to get experience in a more competitive environment. “It’s gonna be really good for our league,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said. “Seasons can — not necessarily drag on — but adding an in-season tournament there just to like reinvigorate fan interest and give something that the players are playing for, another competitive type of environment, I think it’s going to be really good.”
  • Although the majority of the moves didn’t draw as much attention as the blockbusters over the past year, five guards acquired via trades have made a significant impact in their respective teams’ playoff runs, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. The five players Hollinger points to are the Nuggets‘ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (a trade he says he wasn’t a fan of at the time, but has been proven very wrong), the Knicks‘ Josh Hart, the Celtics‘ Malcolm Brogdon, the Sixers‘ De’Anthony Melton, and the Lakers‘ D’Angelo Russell.
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Bucks Notes: Griffin, Coach Search, Giannis, Budenholzer, More

May 11th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks have been granted permission to interview Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin for their head coaching vacancy, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

After a nine-year NBA career, Griffin quickly made the transition to coaching. He actually got his start as an assistant with Milwaukee back in 2008/09, Wojnarowski notes.

Griffin has also been an assistant with Chicago, Orlando, Oklahoma City. He has been with Toronto since ’18/19.

The 48-year-old has interviewed (or was expected to interview) for nearly every open head coaching job over the past season-plus, including the vacancies that popped up after the ’22/23 season concluded for the Rockets, Pistons, Raptors and now the Bucks. Griffin just completed his 15th season as an assistant.

Here’s more on the Bucks:

  • While general manager Jon Horst has shown an openness to interviewing a wide range of candidates, the fact that he went with an experienced head coach who’d had previous success during Milwaukee’s coaching search in 2018 might inform how he’ll approach the process this time around, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Horst has stated that expectations are much higher now than five years ago, so he will likely once again value experience and winning, Nehm notes.
  • Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo took to Instagram to thank former head coach Mike Budenholzer, posting photos of the two embracing after winning the championship in 2021, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN. “Thank you for five meaningful years Coach,” Antetokounmpo wrote. “We accomplished something unbelievable and I’m forever grateful.”
  • Antetokounmpo had been named to the All-Defensive First Team for four straight seasons prior to ’22/23, but despite finishing sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, he didn’t make either of the two All-Defensive teams this season. He took to social media again to voice his apparent displeasure at the snub, per Christopher Kuhagen of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I’m tired of the disrespect. I’m coming,” the former Defensive Player of the Year wrote.
  • Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently joined Michael Scotto on the HoopsHype podcast to discuss the Bucks’ coaching search, possible offseason moves, how the new CBA will affect the team, and more.
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Bucks’ Jrue Holiday Named Teammate of the Year

May 11th, 2023 at 11:29am CST by Rory Maher

Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has been voted the 2022/23 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year, the NBA announced in a press release. A panel of league executives select the 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, while current players vote on the winner.

The award “recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and a role model to other players, and commitment and dedication to team,” per the NBA.

Here are the 12 finalists, listed in order of their total points received (players received 10 points for a first place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and one point for fifth place):

It’s the second straight Teammate of the Year award for Holiday, and third in the past four seasons. Lillard won in ’20/21. The only other active player to have won the award is Minnesota guard Mike Conley, who took it home in ’18/19 with Memphis. The award was introduced in ’12/13.

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Celtics Notes: Brown, Tatum, Pritchard, Mazzulla

May 11th, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Jaylen Brown‘s inclusion on this year’s All-NBA Teams should settle any questions about his future with the Celtics, writes Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. As we detailed on Wednesday, the honor means Brown is now eligible for a five-year Designated Veteran extension that starts at 35% of the salary cap. He can sign a new deal this summer that could be worth up to $295MM and would take effect in the 2024/25 season.

There has been speculation that Brown may not be satisfied with being the No. 2 option behind Jayson Tatum in Boston and that he would have considered looking elsewhere if he hadn’t qualified for the extension. An Eastern Conference general manager who talked to Deveney believes that’s no longer a worry.

“Well, he would be crazy to pass on what Boston can give him,” the GM said. “They will have to go all in and he is going to have to take it. You can’t turn down what is going to wind up being $60 million a year. Maybe he’s happy in Boston, maybe not, but if you’re Jaylen Brown and you have the opportunity to be the highest-paid player in the league, you’re damn right you take it.”

Brown, who was a second-team selection, received a $1,035,714 bonus for the achievement. He has now reached all of his contract incentives, including games played and advancing to the second round, giving him a total of $3.1MM in bonuses this season, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.

There’s more on the Celtics:

  • Tatum also qualified for a Designated Veteran extension by earning All-NBA honors, and Jared Weiss of The Athletic looks at how two mega-deals would impact the team’s future. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement places harsh restrictions on teams that exceed the second apron, which could be a concern in Boston if Tatum and Brown both receive super-max extensions. Weiss notes that Grant Williams is likely to leave in free agency this summer if he gets a competitive offer, and Payton Pritchard has already expressed a desire to be traded. The Celtics don’t appear to have capable replacements on the roster, Weiss states, and their ability to add free agents will be limited.
  • Pritchard should get a larger role in Game 6 as the Celtics try to salvage their season, contends Brian Robb of MassLive. The third-year guard scored six points in eight minutes on Tuesday, and Robb argues that it would benefit the offense to have another creator on the court.
  • Head coach Joe Mazzulla may not survive a second-round exit, opines Matt Vautour of MassLive. Vautour states that although Mazzulla has done an admirable job after taking over as head coach under difficult circumstances, he has been outcoached so far by Doc Rivers and might not be the right leader for an organization that’s focused on winning a title.
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Early Reports Indicate Anthony Davis Avoided Concussion

May 11th, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Arthur Hill

10:56am: League sources tell Haynes that Davis is expected to play in Game 6 (Twitter link).

8:57pm: The Lakers are hoping Anthony Davis will be ready for Friday’s Game 6 after leaving Wednesday night’s contest when he took an inadvertent elbow to the side of his head (video link), writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Davis and Warriors center Kevon Looney were battling for rebounding position midway through the fourth quarter when Looney’s elbow accidentally struck Davis in the temple. He doubled over in pain and was removed from the game on the next dead ball.

Davis was checked by the team’s trainer before being taken to the back for additional evaluation. He was transported to the locker room in a wheelchair after reporting that he was feeling “woozy,” but he was able to leave the arena along with his teammates without any help (video link).

McMenamin hears from a source close to the Lakers that there was no mention of a concussion during Davis’ examination. NBA on TNT sideline reporter Chris Haynes also stated that the early diagnosis appears to show that Davis didn’t suffer a concussion (video link).

“Obviously everyone saw he took a shot to the head, but we just checked on him,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “He seems to be doing really good already. That’s just where he’s at. That’s the status of it right now.”

According to McMenamin, a Lakers spokesman didn’t specify why Davis was taken out of the game and didn’t comment on his chances to play in Game 6. McMenamin adds that if further testing reveals that it is a concussion, Davis will have to complete the league’s protocol, which includes frequent monitoring along with exertion exercises, before being cleared to play again.

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Bucks Get Permission To Interview Scott Brooks

May 11th, 2023 at 9:34am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks have received permission to interview Trail Blazers assistant Scott Brooks in their search for a new head coach, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Brooks joined Chauncey Billups’ staff in Portland after being fired by the Wizards in 2021. He spent five years as the head coach in Washington and seven years in Oklahoma City, compiling a 521-414 career record.

Brooks was mentioned as a potential candidate for the Rockets’ head coaching vacancy before they hired Ime Udoka last month.

[RELATED: 2023 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Brooks joins a growing list of candidates to replace Mike Budenholzer, who was dismissed last week following a first-round playoff exit. Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that Milwaukee is considering its own assistant coach, Charles Lee, for the job as well as Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and former Hornets head coach James Borrego. 

More names could still be added to the list, as Wojnarowski has speculated that the Bucks have their eyes on one or more veteran coaches who are still involved in the playoffs.

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