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Eastern Conference Semifinals Will Have Major Offseason Implications

April 5th, 2019 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Not every list of 2019’s top 10 NBA free agents will look the same, but it’s a safe bet that all of those lists will include Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard and Celtics guard Kyrie Irving. It’s hard to imagine leaving Sixers forward Jimmy Butler or Tobias Harris out of the top 10 either. And after his first All-Star season, Bucks sharpshooter Khris Middleton deserves a spot in that group too.

In other words, five of the top 10 players expected to reach unrestricted free agency this summer are on the four teams currently atop the Eastern Conference: Milwaukee, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Boston. Throw in veteran marksmen J.J. Redick (Sixers) and Danny Green (Raptors), as well as key Bucks contributors Malcolm Brogdon and Brook Lopez, and you could put together an awfully talented rotation of free-agents-to-be among those four Eastern contenders.

Those four teams have something else in common, besides having standout players in contract years: They’ll all be disappointed if they don’t make it beyond the second round of the postseason.

The Bucks haven’t advanced past the first round of the playoffs since 2001, but this year’s group looks like it has NBA Finals potential. Milwaukee has clinched the NBA’s best record, has a winning record against all its potential postseason opponents, and features the odds-on favorite to win the Most Valuable Player award, in Giannis Antetokounmpo. A second-round exit would be a letdown.

Right behind them are the Raptors, who blew up last year’s 59-win team with an eye toward making a deeper playoff run. With newcomers like Leonard, Green, and Marc Gasol in Toronto to lead the way – and Raptor-killer LeBron James no longer in the picture – this is another team that feels as if it has a real chance of advancing to the Finals. After a season of nagging injuries and load management, Toronto seems to be getting healthy and coming together at the right time.

While Milwaukee and Toronto are the odds-on favorites to represent the East in the Finals, the Sixers and Celtics certainly shouldn’t be overlooked. Philadelphia has gone all-in on its star-studded starting five, and owner Josh Harris has said that the Sixers want to “at minimum” advance deeper in the playoffs than they did last year, when they were knocked out in the second round by Boston. As for those Celtics, they entered the 2018/19 season as the Eastern frontrunners, and still believe they’re the team to beat if they’re playing up to their potential.

The Pacers and the rest of the conference’s still-to-be-decided playoff teams will be looking to play spoiler, but regardless of whether any of those clubs can pull off an upset, no more than two of the Bucks, Raptors, Sixers, and Celtics can advance past the Eastern Conference Semifinals. And the outcome of that round figures to have a significant impact on the NBA’s offseason landscape.

If the Raptors are bounced in the second round, it’s hard to imagine Leonard seriously considering a return. A second-round loss for the Celtics would cast even more doubt on the idea of Irving re-signing in Boston. There’s already some skepticism that the Sixers will bring back both Harris and Butler, and an ECF loss would make that an even less likely scenario. The Bucks, who have exceeded expectations this season, are probably the club least likely to undergo major offseason changes, but Middleton will be a popular target in free agency — if Milwaukee is knocked off in round two, it could increase his willingness to test the open market.

On the other hand, the team that makes a run all the way to the NBA Finals will be in a far more secure position entering free agency. If Irving is on the fence about Boston, winning the East would definitely help convince him that the Celtics are capable of continuing to win going forward. Ditto for Leonard and the Raptors.

The idea that a team’s postseason success can influence a top free agent’s offseason decision is a common one. This spring in the Eastern Conference, we’ll get an opportunity to see just how big a factor that is for a handful of star players, as at least two teams are set to fall short of their playoff goals.

James Ennis To Miss At Least Two Weeks

April 4th, 2019 at 7:55pm CST by JD Shaw

Sixers forward James Ennis will miss at least two weeks of action after suffering a contusion of his right quad, the team has announced.

Ennis sustained the injury during the third quarter of the club’s game against the Hawks on Wednesday, according to the press release. He’ll miss at least part of the first round due to the injury, with the playoffs set to begin in just 10 days.

Ennis, 28, holds per-game averages of 5.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 18 games with the Sixers this season, shooting 41% from the floor and 31% from 3-point range. Philadelphia acquired him in a deal with Houston before the trade deadline, sending away the swap rights to a 2021 second-round pick.

Entering Thursday’s game against Milwaukee, the Sixers were dealing with injuries to Jimmy Butler (back), J.J. Redick (quad) and Joel Embiid (knee). Redick and Butler suited up for the game, while Butler was unable to play.

Philadelphia currently holds the third-best record in the Eastern Conference at 49-29, leading the Pacers and Celtics by 2.5 games with four contests left in the regular season.

Sixers Sign Greg Monroe, Waive Justin Patton

April 4th, 2019 at 11:18am CST by Arthur Hill

APRIL 4, 11:18am: The Sixers have officially signed Monroe, according to a press release from the club. The team’s roster is now back to 15 players.

APRIL 3, 4:10pm: The Sixers have officially waived Patton, the team announced today in a press release.

APRIL 3, 12:49pm: Philadelphia will be the next stop for Greg Monroe, tweets Jordan Schultz of ESPN, who states that the Sixers will waive center Justin Patton tomorrow and sign Monroe for the rest of the season.

Monroe became available when his 10-day contract with the Celtics expired last night. Boston passed on an opportunity to re-sign him, preferring to keep a roster spot open for other options.

The 10-day contract won’t prevent him from being eligible for the playoffs, notes Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Only players waived since March 1 lose their postseason eligibility, and Monroe hasn’t been waived — his 10-day deal with Boston simply expired.

Monroe will provide a veteran presence in the middle for the Sixers, who have been seeking backup help at center. Philadelphia will be his fourth stop of the season after beginning in Toronto before being traded to Brooklyn and then waived. He averaged 4.8 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 38 games with the Raptors, but played just five total minutes in two games with the Celtics.

Philadelphia won’t be on the hook for much salary with Patton, who is entering the final week of a $2,667,600 contract. Injury problems have limited him to just four games in two NBA seasons after being selected with the 16th pick in the 2017 draft. His 2019/20 option was declined by Minnesota last fall.

Sixers Notes: Butler, O’Brien, Embiid, Bolden

March 31st, 2019 at 2:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Jimmy Butler returned to Minnesota on Saturday for the first time since being traded from the Timberwolves, helping the Sixers take a 118-109 victory in a hostile environment.

Butler’s departure from the Wolves was a shock for both the team and its fans this season. The 29-year-old being vigorously booed during pre-game intros and every time he touched the ball during Saturday’s contest.

“I don’t care about being loved all the time,” Butler said postgame, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN. “It’s no fun that way.”

Butler has thrived in situations like these during his career, raising his effort level and becoming a fiercer competitor. Although he struggled shooting the ball (just 4-of-17 from the floor), he finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals to help seal the Sixers’ victory.

“He thrives under blankets of controversy,” coach Brett Brown said before the game. “I greatly respect it, and I think when you look at the high-level competitors, it is part of their DNA. It is certainly part of his DNA.”

Butler has carried this gene throughout his eight-year career, and it’s that competitive nature he’ll bring to the table with the Sixers as they look to make a deep playoff run this spring. He’s scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency on July 1.

There’s more out of Philadelphia today:

Brett Brown will bring in senior advisor Jim O’Brien to replace assistant Billy Lange on his coaching staff, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Lange left the Sixers this week to become the next head coach at Saint Joseph’s. O’Brien served as an NBA head coach for nine seasons, including one campaign with the Sixers in 2004-05.
Resting Joel Embiid for three games is a smart decision for the Sixers as they prepare for the playoffs, Brown said Saturday night, as relayed by ESPN.com. “This is not sort of a reaction to symptoms,” Brown said. “It’s just load management. Again, we’re just trying to be smart and deliver him to play in the playoffs ready to go.” Embiid sat out of Saturday’s game and has already been ruled out of Monday’s game against Dallas and Wednesday’s game against Atlanta. He’ll be re-evaluated before the team’s home contest against the Bucks on Thursday.
Jonah Bolden will look to seize his opportunity as the postseason nears, writes Brian Seltzer of NBA.com. Bolden started in place of Embiid on Saturday, recording 19 points, 8 rebounds, three blocks and a game-high plus-22 net rating. “When it comes down to playoff time, the rotation does shorten up,” Bolden said. “The opportunity is now, whether the opportunity is now or in the playoffs, just making the most of it whenever it comes.”

Injury Notes: Embiid, Richardson, McCaw

March 30th, 2019 at 3:07pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Joel Embiid will miss the next three games for the Sixers, starting with tonight’s tilt against the Timberwolves, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The move to leave Embiid home during the three-game road trip is part of pre-determined maintenance.

Embiid missed time following the All-Star break with knee soreness and other players, such as Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons, have also missed time because of injury and rest concerns. As a result, the team’s starting five has only played in 10 games together this season, as I detailed last week.

Here’s more injury notes from around the league:

Heat coach Eric Spoelstra said there is no timetable for Josh Richardson (left heel) to return to action, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays on Twitter. Spoelstra added that he doesn’t believe Richardson is done for the season.
Patrick McCaw will be in a splint for approximately three weeks, according to a Raptors press release. He will be re-evaluated at that time.
Kyrie Irving and Al Horford will both miss tonight’s contest against the Nets, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com passes along. Irving’s nursing a sore back while Horford has a sore left knee. Neither player is expected to miss an extended period of time for the Celtics.

Atlantic Notes: Butler, Vonleh, VanVleet, Ntilikina

March 28th, 2019 at 6:19pm CST by JD Shaw

Jimmy Butler will return to Minnesota on Saturday when the Sixers visit the Timberwolves, marking his first game back in Target Center since shockingly requesting a trade from the team back in September.

Butler, who received mostly boos in the 10 games after his trade request last fall, is preparing to enter what’s sure to be a hostile environment during his return.

“They’re going to boo me,” Butler said of the Timberwolves fans, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times. “I would boo me, too. I’m not going to lie to you.”

Butler, who’s known as one of the most outspoken players in the NBA, said he’ll even consider joining in with the fans’ boos. Butler spent just one full season on the Wolves, with the 29-year-old set to reach unrestricted free agency on July 1.

“Oh, I love it,” Butler continued about the fans’ reaction to the trade, as relayed by Stein. “I love it. I love it. Who wants to be loved all the time?

“It’s O.K. It’s fine. I don’t need everybody to like me. I know who I am. I can’t say that enough. I know what I’m about. I know where my heart is. People will say, ‘He’s this way, or he’s that way,’ but nobody knows except for the people around me every day. Ask them and they’ll tell you differently.”

Let’s check in on more items from out of the Atlantic…

Knicks forward Noah Vonleh underwent an MRI on Wednesday that revealed a right ankle sprain with a bone bruise in his right foot, the team announced. Vonleh is expected to be re-evaluated in one week, with the 23-year-old averaging a career-high 8.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 25.3 minutes per game this season.
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet turned to analytics in order to improve his game while injured, Blake Murphy of The Athletic writes. VanVleet missed 12 straight games after undergoing surgery to fix ligament damage in his left thumb, returning to the court two weeks ago. “I’ve found some spots where I think I can be good. I’ve looked at my numbers. I’ve been bored outta my mind so I studied some analytics a little bit, watched a lot of film, and just seeing where I can get better,” VanVleet said. “This feels like October again for me so I’m approaching this as a new season, the end of the season, and hopefully I can come back and take another jump of improvement towards the end of the season.”
Knicks coach David Fizdale couldn’t commit to Frank Ntilikina returning this season, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Ntilikina re-injured his groin on Friday, an injury that cost him nearly two months of action earlier in the year. “We don’t know yet on the status of how far away he is from coming back,” Fizdale said when asked whether Ntilikina is out for the season. “I know it was a tough blow to the kid the other night. I just don’t know how severe it is. I just know that it got to a point during the game where it was really bothering him. It’s just been frustrating for the kid. It’s been frustrating for all of us, but for him it’s been tough.”

Sixers Assistant Becomes Head Coach At St. Joseph’s

March 28th, 2019 at 12:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers are losing assistant coach Billy Lange to the college ranks, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojanarowski. Lange has left Philadelphia’s staff to become the next head coach at St. Joseph’s in the Atlantic 10.

Lange has been with the Sixers for the past six seasons. Prior to joining them, he served as an associate coach at Villanova and spent time at Navy, LaSalle and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

“I am proud of his appointment and he and his family will be missed as friends and Billy in a professional capacity, very much,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said in a statement tweeted by the team. “He has been with me from day one and to see where he started and now where he has ended up, is a fantastic human and basketball story. We will be following him closely. Go Hawks.” (Twitter link).

Pacific Notes: Vucevic, Clippers, Bell, LeBron

March 28th, 2019 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings will be among the teams chasing Magic center Nikola Vucevic in free agency this summer, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. In a question-and-answer column, Amick states that Vucevic is a target for Sacramento, adding that it will likely take a maximum offer to land him. The Kings’ cap space will depend on what Harrison Barnes does with his $25.1MM player option, but they may be able to put together a max deal even if Barnes opts in.

At age 28, Vucevic doesn’t quite fit with the Kings’ collection of young players, but Sacramento’s interest could be an indication that the club is speeding up its timeline to become a contender. Signing Vucevic would probably mean the Kings would be done with Willie Cauley-Stein, who will be a restricted free agent this summer.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler are the free agents most likely to want to join the Clippers if they can open two max salary slots, Amick adds in the same column. However, he adds that sources have told him L.A.’s interest in signing Butler is “slim to none.” Amick also expects the Clippers to be among the teams submitting a trade offer to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis.
Jordan Bell‘s one-game suspension was the result of charging a hotel purchase to assistant coach Mike Brown, report Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The amount that Bell charged at a Memphis hotel hasn’t been released and it’s not clear if the purchase was intended as a prank, but the team believed it warranted disciplinary action. “The (press) release was self-explanatory,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters Wednesday. “He’s suspended for tonight’s game for conduct detrimental to the team. Beyond that, it’s our business and nobody else’s. We’ll move on.” This may be Bell’s last season with Golden State, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports, who notes that Bell is headed toward restricted free agency and the Warriors have one of the league’s largest luxury tax bills.
With the Lakers out of playoff contention, they are no longer playing LeBron James in both ends of back-to-back games, relays Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. James didn’t make the trip to Utah on Wednesday, with coach Luke Walton saying he remained behind for treatment. The long-term health of the 34-year-old star will be the organization’s top priority for the rest of the season.

Eastern Notes: Knight, Sixers, Bucks

March 27th, 2019 at 6:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Brandon Knight, who was sent to the Cavaliers at this season’s trade deadline, is embracing his role as a mentor to Collin Sexton, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes.

“I don’t know what the process was before I got here … I do know since I’ve gotten here I try to talk to [Sexton] as much as I can,” Knight said. “I see myself a lot in him as a young guard having vets around me, having to learn when to score and when not to score, trying to use my speed but also trying to slow down. There’s a lot of things I had to deal with. So when I see him do certain things I’m like, ‘Man, I used to do that.’ ”

Knight and Sexton were each selected eighth overall in their respective drafts. Knight started for most of his career and he knows what it’s like to feel the pressure of being a top selection.

“It took me a couple years,” Knight said. “If we can get him to do that — what I learned year four — by year two, how much better will our team be? I just try to tell him those little things.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Sixers assistant coach Billy Lange has interviewed for the St. Joe’s head coaching job, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Lange has been with the team for six seasons.
The Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks‘ G League affiliate, has fired coach Jordan Brady, according to the team’s Twitter feed. “We greatly appreciate Coach Brady and his staff for their efforts the past 2 seasons,” GM Dave Dean said. “While they have played a significant role in the organization’s growth on the court and in the community, we feel it’s in the best interest of the Herd to explore other options.”
Something needs to change in Boston, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports contends. Inconsistency has plagued the Celtics all season, prompting Forsberg takes a look at some potential lineup changes that coach Brad Stevens could make.

It’s Time For The Stars To Align In Philadelphia

March 26th, 2019 at 11:06pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers have their ideal starting five after making separate in-season moves for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris. However, their reward comes with a tax of unfamiliarity.

The J.J. Redick–Joel Embiid–Ben Simmons-Harris-Butler unit has played in just nine games together so far. While many playoff teams will try to give their starters some rest over the next two weeks, Philadelphia has no such luxury, as the team’s new pieces need as much time together as they can get to prepare for postseason battle.

“Because we have played so few games together, the importance of keeping these guys as much as you can on the court and experiencing playing with each other is really important,” coach Brett Brown said (via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “So somewhere out there, you hope to strike a balance [between resting players and keeping players fresh].”

Various injuries and nights of rest have limited the team’s time together on the court. However, when the stars align, Brown has attempted to make the most of the opportunities. The starting five has seen nearly 17 minutes per contest, which is the most minutes per game among any Sixers’ 5-man combination all season (per NBA.com, including lineups pre-trade lineups).

The Sixers have a hold on the third seed in the conference by just two games over the Pacers and they own the tiebreaker with Indiana after winning three of four tilts this year. No one in Philadelphia is going to discuss a preferred opponent, but the seeding matters, as falling to No. 4 would likely mean a first-round battle with the Celtics.

While they recently beat Boston in a statement win, the Sixers have earned just four victories over their last 25 games against their Atlantic Division rival (including last season’s 4-1 playoff series loss). Imagine having to go through Boston, Toronto, and Milwaukee to get to the NBA Finals and doing so without much rest leading up to the playoffs. That undesirable path remains in play.

The team has seven games remaining and the upcoming schedule isn’t strenuous. Embiid & Co. take on the Nets in Philadelphia before a three-game business trip through Minnesota, Dallas, and Atlanta. The Sixers could lock up a top-three seed before they return to Philadelphia to play the Bucks on April 4. Yet, after back-to-back losses to the Hawks and Magic, penciling in W’s is a fool’s task.

The Sixers arguably present Golden State with the greatest matchup challenge among all Eastern Conference contenders. Whether they get the opportunity to try to take down the two-time reigning champs will likely come down to two factors: the path taken and familiarity with one another. On Thursday vs. the Nets, Philly will get a chance to work on both components, as the five starters are expected to play game number 10 together.

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