Coach Brett Brown has only one season left on his contract after this year’s campaign, but the Sixers hope to keep him on the sideline for the foreseeable future.
He added that the Sixers are different than other sports franchises, as it places an emphasis on longevity and creating a positive culture. Harris, who also owns a majority stake in the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, believes that Brown has proven to be the right man for the job, despite having a career 127-283 regular season record.
“I think he should be coach of the year,” Harris said. “I think that Brett was clearly an amazing coach before this year in terms of his player development skills, and his vision and the culture that he built.
“This year was the first year that he was really tested in terms of his in-game tactics and how he ran the team and wins. We were judging him by wins. Go win some games. He delivered in spades. We over-exceeded expectations. …I hope he’s here for a long time.”
Sixers center Joel Embiid has cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol but is still listed as out for the second game of the playoff series with Miami, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
Embiid’s last remaining step to clear the protocol was to prove he could handle contact. He was just cleared for contract drills on Saturday, so Philadelphia officials are electing to be cautious (Twitter link).
It has only been 15 days since Embiid underwent surgery to fix a broken orbital bone. He was able to shoot with the team for about a half hour before Saturday’s game, but hasn’t found a protective mask that meets league approval.
The Sixers’ decision to hold out Embiid for another game was made easier by their dominance in the second half of the opener, which saw them roll to a 130-103 victory. Game 2 will take place Monday in Philadelphia before the series heads to Miami for Game 3 on Thursday and Game 4 on Saturday.
Embiid remained mostly injury free this season, playing in 63 games and averaging 22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per night.
The Sixers, who raised NBA tanking to a new level during their “Trust the Process” years, got an assist this season from another tanking team, notes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. The additions of Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli, who were both bought out by the Hawks, gave Philadelphia massive production off the bench in Saturday’s playoff opener.
Ilyasova posted 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Belinelli scored 25 points and was 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Although he drew interest from the Bucks, Cavaliers, Warriors and Raptors after his buyout, Ilyasova said it was an easy decision to come to Philadelphia.
“I think it’s all about fitting in the right situation,” he said. “Me and Marco, the way this team plays, we fit in perfectly in the system. … “When you look at the locker room and see the guys we have, obviously when [Joel Embiid] gets back, the sky’s the limit.”
There’s more today from Philadelphia:
When it comes to trusting the process, no one had to do it more than coach Brett Brown, who amassed a historically bad won-loss record in his first few years on the bench, Shelburne adds in the same story. The former Spurs assistant, who was 55-253 heading into this season, said he never lost faith in what the organization was trying to accomplish. “For whatever reason, I have found peace with what we have been doing since I’ve had the job,” Brown said. “We have tried to stay steady throughout it all. And I hope I still do. I really mean that. You had to have a vision and a calling. But we want more. Ultimately, we’re trying to grow something that can produce a championship.”
Co-managing partner Josh Harris also focused on winning a title in a chat with Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Harris called it “painful” to rebuild for three and a half years, but added that the organization never wavered from its plan. “I’m greedy,” he said. “I want to win an NBA championship. “I’m not going to be satisfied until that happens.”
Former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie, credited as the architect of the tanking strategy, remains on good terms with the organization, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. “Sam is a smart guy,” Harris said. “He’s a great strategist, and he certainly positioned the team, as best he could, to achieve success through the rebuild process. He also brought in some good people who are still with us. We continue to have a good relationship with him. We’re glad he was a part of it.”
Joel Embiid is optimistic about his chances to return for Game 2 or 3 of the Sixers‘ series with Miami, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Embiid underwent facial surgery March 31 after breaking an orbital bone in an on-court collision. He has to prove he can handle contact before being medically cleared to play, but he took steps in that direction this week (Twitter link). “If it was my decision I would play, but I can’t get back out on the court if I don’t have the OK from them,” Embiid said. “But everything has been going well.” He spent about 30 minutes shooting before tonight’s game wearing a black protective mask that the league hasn’t approved for game use (Twitter link).
Joel Embiid said he’s feeling better as he recovers from facial surgery but the Sixers big man maintains that it is unlikely that he plays in the team’s Game 1 playoff matchup against the Heat, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
“Unlikely,” Embiid said, “but there’s still a chance based on the way I’ve been feeling the past couple of days and the way I’ve progressed. Unlikely, but we’re going to see how it feels.”
Embiid missed Philadelphia’s last eight regular season games after he suffered an orbital fracture near his left eye and a concussion during a March 28 matchup against the Knicks. While the Sixers did not lose a game during Embiid’s absence, adding a player who averaged 22.9 PPG and 11.0 RPG during the regular season would be a major postseason boost.
Check out more injury updates below:
Thunder guard Corey Brewer will receive treatment on his sprained knee over the next few days with the intention to play in the Thunder’s Game 1 matchup against the Jazz, tweets Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania. Brewer suffered the injury in Oklahoma City’s regular-season finale, causing concern about his postseason status.
The Trail Blazers got some positive news onMaurice Harkless, who is expected to return sometime during Portland’s first-round series against the Pelicans, sources tell Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest. Harkless missed Portland’s final nine games to clean out his left knee and was a key part of the team before the injury.
Hawks forward DeAndre’ Bembryhas been diagnosed with a right wrist fracture, the team announced. He is expected to recover within four to six weeks.
More importantly for fans of most non-playoff teams, the end of the regular season means that the 2018 NBA draft picture is clearer than ever. The 2018 draft order is close to being set and – with a small handful of exceptions – most of this year’s traded draft picks with protections on them have now officially changed hands or officially stayed put.
However, there are still some major question marks surrounding the draft order, since several clubs finished the regular season with identical records, and draft tiebreakers don’t work like playoff tiebreakers do. In order to break these ties, the NBA will conduct random drawings this Friday, as Jonathan Givony of ESPN notes (via Twitter).
For lottery teams, such as the 24-58 Mavericks and Hawks, who finished tied for third in the lottery standings, the implications of those drawings are huge. Whichever team wins that tiebreaker will have ever-so-slightly better odds at the first overall pick (13.8% to 13.7%), and will be in position to claim the higher first-round pick if neither team lands in the top three.
For instance, if the Suns and Grizzlies remain at No. 1 and No. 2 in the lottery and another team leapfrogs the Mavs and Hawks, the winner of the tiebreaker between Dallas and Atlanta would claim the No. 4 overall pick — the loser would get No. 5. For the second round, the loser of the tiebreaker would receive the higher selection.
Here are the draft tiebreakers that will be conducted on Friday:
Mavericks vs. Hawks for Nos. 3, 4.
Kings vs. Bulls for Nos. 6, 7.
Bucks vs. Heat for Nos. 16, 17.
Spurs vs. Timberwolves for Nos. 18, 19.
Pacers vs. Pelicans vs. Thunder vs. Jazz for Nos. 20-23.
Several of those tiebreakers will also affect this year’s traded picks. Most notably, the Bucks/Heat drawing has massive implications for Milwaukee and Phoenix — the Bucks’ first-round pick will head to the Suns if it lands at No. 16, but Milwaukee would keep it if it ends up at No. 17. In other words, each team has a 50/50 shot at the pick. If the Bucks keep it, they’d owe their 2019 first-round selection to Phoenix, albeit with somewhat similar protections.
Here’s a breakdown of the traded first-round picks for 2018. A check mark indicates the pick will definitely be sent to the indicated team:
Nets pick to Cavaliers (✔️): Eighth in lottery standings
Lakers pick to Sixers (97.1%) or Celtics (2.9%): 10th in lottery standings
Note: Celtics will receive pick if it lands at No. 2 or No. 3 via the lottery.
Pistons pick to Clippers (97.5%): 12th in lottery standings
Note: Pistons will keep pick if it lands in top three via the lottery.
Heat pick to Suns (✔️): No. 16 or 17 (tie)
Bucks pick to Suns (50%): No. 16 or 17 (tie)
Note: Bucks will keep pick if it lands at No. 17 via a random drawing.
Timberwolves pick to Hawks (✔️): No. 18 or 19 (tie)
Thunder pick to Timberwolves (✔️): No. 20, 21, 22, or 23 (four-way tie)
Pelicans pick to Bulls (✔️): No. 20, 21, 22, or 23 (four-way tie)
Cavaliers pick to Lakers (✔️): No. 25
Raptors pick to Nets (✔️): No. 29
Rockets pick to Hawks (✔️): No. 30
Here’s a breakdown of the traded second-round picks that will change hands in 2018:
9:38pm: The Heat have beaten the Raptors, meaning we know the playoff pairings and seeds for the Eastern Conference.
Raptors (No. 1) vs. Wizards (No. 8)
Celtics (No. 2) vs. Bucks (No. 7)
Sixers (No. 3) vs. Heat (No. 6)
Cavaliers (No. 4) vs. Pacers (No. 5)
9:32pm: The Magic have beaten the Wizards. We now know the following.
The Wizards are the No. 8 seed, which means the only seeds still up for grabs are the 6 and 7 seeds.
If MIA wins, they are the No. 6 seed and MIL is No. 7.
If TOR wins, MIL is the No. 6 seed and MIA is No. 7.
9:05pm: Philadelphia now leads Milwaukee by 34 points with less than eight minutes remaining. Safe to say, the Sixers aren’t losing this game. As such, we now know the following.
The Sixers are the No. 3 seed.
The Cavaliers are the No. 4 seed.
The Heat will be the No. 6 seed with a win over the Raptors.
8:18pm: At halftime of both games, the Knicks lead the Cavs by 20 and the Sixers lead the Bucks by an all-but insurmountable 36 points. Barring an epic turnaround, the Sixers will be the No. 3 seed and the Cavs will be the No. 4 seed.
6:07pm: While not as undecided as the Western Conference, the Eastern Conference still has some seeding implications in tonight’s games as well. Like the top two seeds in the West, both the Raptors and Celtics are locked in to the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the East, respectively.
Likewise, the Pacers will be the No. 5 seed regardless of tonight’s results. However, seeds three, four, and six through eight are still up in the air, as follows:
Sixers: 3 or 4
Cavaliers: 3 or 4
Bucks: 6, 7, or 8
Heat: 6, 7, or 8
Wizards: 6, 7, or 8
As we did for the Western Conference, here are some initial notes that are not conditional upon other game results:
The Sixers will be the No. 3 seed with a win over the Bucks.
The Cavs will be the No. 4 seed with a loss to the Knicks.
The Bucks will be the No. 6 seed with a win over the Sixers.
The Wizards will be the No. 8 seed with a loss to the Magic.
We will be updating the Eastern Conference playoff seeding scenarios as the night goes on, so stay with us throughout the evening. The playoff seeding should be set by the time we sign off.
When All-NBA voters decide whether or not to classify Anthony Davis as a forward or center on their ballots this year, they may indirectly impact the value of Joel Embiid‘s new contract by approximately $30MM.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN details, the extension Embiid signed with the Sixers last offseason will be worth 25% of the cap starting in 2018/19. However, the contract includes a clause that states his starting salary would increase to 30% if he’s named to the All-NBA First Team. That salary bump would increase his overall earnings by about $30MM over the life of the five-year deal, but it can probably only happen if Davis receives most of his All-NBA votes at forward. Otherwise, he seems like a good bet to beat out Embiid for the center spot on the First Team.
No player has more at stake as a result of All-NBA voting or various other benchmarks than Embiid. But that contract is just one of many that could be affected by a variety of award results, postseason outcomes, or other criteria.
Marks’ piece is worth checking out in full for all the details, but here’s a quick look at a few noteworthy contract situations:
Pelicans star Anthony Davis will become eligible for a Designated Veteran Extension in 2019 if he earns an All-NBA spot this year. However, Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is among the players who would need another All-NBA nod in 2019 to qualify for a supermax deal, even if he’s on this year’s All-NBA squad. Those Designated Veteran Extensions are known as supermax contracts because they start at 35% of the salary cap instead of 30%.
Kyle Lowry (Raptors) and Victor Oladipo (Pacers) would get sizable bonuses if their teams make deep playoff runs. Lowry would receive $500K for reaching the Eastern Finals, another $500K for winning the East, and another $500K for a title. Oladipo would earn $250K if Indiana reaches the NBA Finals.
All-Defense honors would pay off for Jazz center Rudy Gobert and Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday. Gobert will get a $500K bonus if he’s named to the All-Defense First Team, while Holiday would get $100K for a spot on the First Team or Second Team.
Among the players who have already earned bonuses: Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon ($900K for incentives related to points, rebounds, and games played), Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless ($500K for his three-point percentage), Bucks center John Henson ($500K for playing 75+ games), and Jazz guard Ricky Rubio ($175K for his field-goal and free-throw percentages).
The 2017/18 NBA rookie class has looked deep and impressive this season, with many players from last year’s draft already assuming key roles on their NBA clubs. However, the battle for this season’s Rookie of the Year has essentially been a two-man race for months. With apologies to Jayson Tatum and others, the vote will almost certainly come down to Ben Simmons vs. Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell, the 13th overall pick in the 2017 draft, has done his part to help Jazz fans forget about Gordon Hayward‘s departure, averaging a team-high 20.5 PPG to go along with 3.7 APG, 3.7 RPG, and 1.5 SPG. After coming off the bench for several games near the start of the season, Mitchell has been a mainstay in Utah’s starting lineup since November, and had been a huge reason why the Jazz hold the No. 4 seed in the West — the team is 42-27 in games Mitchell starts.
While Mitchell’s rookie year has been outstanding, don’t count Simmons among those who will admit to being impressed by the Jazz guard. Asked by ESPN’s Chris Haynes which rookies around the NBA have caught his attention this season, Simmons promptly replied, “None.” The Sixers‘ point guard also didn’t mince words when asked about his own pick for Rookie of the Year.
“Who would I pick? Me, 100 percent,” Simmons told Haynes. “I think I have been playing solid all year. If you look at the numbers, you will see. People who know the game know.”
Simmons’ numbers are certainly worth mentioning. While he hasn’t scored at the same rate as Mitchell, posting 16.0 PPG for the year, 2016’s first overall pick has filled up the stat sheet with 8.2 APG, 8.1 RPG, and 1.7 SPG after missing the entire 2016/17 season. He has also made 54.7% of his shots from the field, though the fact that he has attempted just 11 three-pointers all season helps buoy that mark.
Like Mitchell’s Jazz, Simmons’ Sixers are in position to host a first-round playoff series, potentially as the No. 3 seed. And as good as the two rookies have been, they also both play alongside star centers – Rudy Gobert and Joel Embiid – who have arguably been the 2017/18 MVPs for Utah and Philadelphia, respectively. In other words, Mitchell and Simmons have very similar – and virtually equally compelling – cases for being named the 2017/18 Rookie of the Year.
What do you think? Would you pick Mitchell or Simmons as the 2017/18 Rookie of the Year? Is there another candidate that you think has a case to be at the forefront of the discussion? Does the fact that Simmons had an extra year of NBA seasoning affect your pick at all, even though he’s technically eligible for the award?
Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!