Billy Donovan Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Andre Roberson May Not Return Until December?

August 25th, 2018 at 3:50pm CST by clarkcrum

Despite previously reporting that Thunder guard Andre Roberson said he was on track to be back for the start of the 2018/19 season, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman is now being told that Roberson is still a “couple months away” from his return and that he’s targeting the end of 2018 for a return to normalcy.

Roberson, 26, says he’ll return “when (he) feel(s) ready” after rupturing his left patellar tendon in January of this year. “I’m not really putting a particular timeline on it, but I want to come back to myself somewhere in, like, December,” Roberson said. “It would be great if it happened before Christmas. That’d be great, but like I said, not putting a timeline on it, just taking it a day at a time.”

“Knowing the history of this injury, not many people come back from it the same way,” Roberson added, but also noted that “in today’s day and era, in terms of technology, medicine and stuff like that, it’s totally different,” crediting the Thunder’s medical staff with helping him work his way back.

Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said the team is fine with Roberson taking his time to get right and that he wouldn’t rush to get Roberson back on the court, especially considering the severity of the type of injury suffered by Roberson.

That being said, the Thunder are still sure to be eager to get Roberson back on the court. As Dawson notes, the Thunder ranked fifth in the NBA in defensive rating last season before Roberson got hurt. Afterward, Oklahoma City saw its rating drop ten spots to fifteenth.

Western Notes: Lakers, Beyer, Grant, Morey

August 21st, 2018 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers front office felt they couldn’t fight fire with fire to overtake the Warriors, so their offseason acquisitions beyond LeBron James were aimed toward another approach, as Kevin Ding explains in an extensive piece posted on the team’s website. By signing Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo and Michael Beasley, the Lakers signaled that they want to rise to the top in a different way. “To try to play the Warriors in their own game is a trap,” GM Rob Pelinka told Ding. “No one is going to beat them at their own game. That’s why we wanted to add these elements: defense, toughness and depth—and try to look at areas where we’ll have an advantage.”

We have more from around the Western Conference:

The Thunder have added Bob Beyer to Billy Donovan‘s coaching staff, according to a team press release. Beyer spent the last four seasons on Stan Van Gundy’s Pistons staff, serving as the associate head coach the past two seasons. His NBA coaching experience dates back to the 2003/04 season as an assistant with the Raptors.
Thunder forward Jerami Grant anticipates a bigger role during the upcoming season after signing a multi-year contract, as he told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype in a Q&A session. Grant appeared in 81 games last season, averaging 8.4 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 20.3 MPG. He anticipates even more playing time with the departure of Carmelo Anthony. “I’m definitely excited to be able to play extensive minutes and play important minutes on a contender. Getting a chance to show what you can do while being part of an organization like this, being part of a team like this, it means a lot. They’ve shown a lot of trust in me by giving me this new contract and [and a bigger role].” Grant signed a three-year, $27MM contract to remain with OKC.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey is just as curious as anyone how DeMarcus Cousins will fit in with the Warriors, as he told radio host Dan Patrick in comments relayed by NBC Sports’ Dan Feldman. “They’ll probably figure out how to make it work, but it’s a little bit hard on paper to figure out how to make it work. But we do that well and so do they, obviously. They’re gonna be a tough out again, obviously. They’re arguably the best team in NBA history,” Morey said.

Northwest Notes: Schroder, Lillard, Towns, Crowder

July 24th, 2018 at 4:56pm CST by clarkcrum

In an extended analytical piece, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer takes a look at how the Thunder‘s soon-to-be acquired point guard Dennis Schroder will fit with incumbent starter and All-Star Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City’s backcourt.

Consistently ranked near the bottom of the league in passing metrics, Thunder head coach Billy Donovan has regularly spoke about how he wants better ball movement on offense. But, as Donovan admits, “There’s a balance between [giving the ball to your stars] and then trying to play faster with more ball and player movement.”

Enter Schroder, who can create against a defense with his quickness perhaps better than any other point guard the Thunder have had in recent years outside of Westbrook, including Reggie Jackson.

Only time will tell whether or not Westbrook and Schroder will be able to play together, but if they can, Donovan will be able to install more pace and ball-movement concepts featuring multiple ball handlers running the show, rather than relying on Westbrook alone, which should help the Thunder be less one-dimensional against the better Western Conference teams come playoff time.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

While the Trail Blazers may not have been able to bring in as much talent as they had hoped for during this summer’s free agency period in an effort to improve upon last season, Damian Lillard says that he’s ready and excited for the upcoming season and that he has a “deeper connection” with the city of Portland that goes beyond basketball, per Sean Meagher of The Oregonian.
As part of a Wolves’ mailbag, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic opines that although the relationship between Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves could obviously use some work right now, the opportunity for repair remains, as Towns likely would have cancelled his recent basketball camp in the Twin Cities had he already completely written off Minnesota as a long-term home.
After struggling on-court to adjust to a new role and new teammates at the beginning of last season and coping off-court with the death of his mother from cancer, Jae Crowder finally feels at home with the Jazz, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t difficult,” Crowder told The Tribune. “It was hard being thrown into the fire. But, from Day One, the locker room and my teammates [in Utah] were great. The coaching staff was great. … It helped build toughness.”

Northwest Notes: Noel, Thomas, Favors, Blazers

July 18th, 2018 at 6:17pm CST by clarkcrum

Five years removed from being drafted No. 6 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, newly-acquired Thunder big man Nerlens Noel is looking to rehabilitate both his game and reputation in Oklahoma City, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman.

A one-and-done talent at college powerhouse Kentucky, Noel is aware of the rumors surrounding his game – that he’s a talented but unwilling to work – but he’s ready to come out this season and turn things around.

The Thunder are ready for that too, which is why head coach Billy Donovan and All-Stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George all made recruiting pitches to Noel on the first night of free agency.

“I’m excited about having him,” Donovan said. “He’s early in his career, and I know his career probably hasn’t evolved into what he’d hoped when he was a rookie. But he’s still very young, and he’s still got a lot of time to continue to get better.”

Noel has yet to have much of any success at the NBA level so far. He sat out his first season in Philadelphia recovering from injury and then saw his playing time dwindle after the Sixers drafted up-and-coming star Joel Embiid. But now that Noel feels he has a new home where winning is a priority, he is ready to prove his worth.

“You want to be in a situation where you’re wanted on a team that really wants to win,” Noel said. “That means the utmost to me, and that’s what my game is. I don’t think playing on teams that are really headed in the other direction complements me as well or makes me look as good as I might want to.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Armed with deep motivation after having his career curtailed by injury, Nuggets point guard Isaiah Thomas is eager to play for a team who wanted him, reports Christopher Dempsey of Nuggets.com. Thomas, who played for head coach Mike Malone in Sacramento during his breakout season in 2013-14, credits Malone’s trust in him as a key to his continued success.
Per Aaron Falk of UtahJazz.com, Jazz forward Derrick Favors is looking for an increased role on offense next season. During his free agent meeting with Utah’s front office, the two parties spoke about getting Favors more cuts to the basket and playing out of pick-and-roll or dribble-handoffs more often.
The Trail Blazers have made a couple of minor roster moves in the past day or so, deciding to retain guard Wade Baldwin and part ways with center Georgios Papagiannis.

Adrian Griffin Reaches Agreement To Join Raptors’ Staff

June 25th, 2018 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder assistant coach Adrian Griffin has agreed to join the Raptors’ staff as the lead assistant to new head coach Nick Nurse, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports.

Griffin served as an assistant to Billy Donovan the past two seasons. Griffin, who had a nine-year playing career, has also coached with the Bucks, Bulls and Magic.

Griffin interviewed for head coaching openings with the Rockets and Magic prior to joining Donovan’s staff.

Presti: Billy Donovan Will Return For Thunder

May 2nd, 2018 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Thunder head coach Billy Donovan will continue coaching the team next season, general manager Sam Presti confirmed today to reporters, including Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). According to Dawson (Twitter link), Presti expressed enthusiasm about the idea of Donovan returning to coach a similar core of players in 2018/19.

“I think the biggest opportunity for him is in the continuity.” Presti said of Donovan. “Continuity is his best friend going forward.”

Presti addressed a few other topics during his session with reporters, including how the Thunder might achieve that continuity, so let’s round up a few highlights…

Presti acknowledges that the Thunder are disappointed with the overall result of the 2017/18 season. “And we should be,” he added (Twitter link via Dawson).
Paul George was a “tremendous fit” for the Thunder, according to Presti, who said it feels like the standout forward has been with the team for more than year (Twitter link via Dawson). Presti added that he feels good about OKC’s relationship with George and has been “really encouraged” by the conversations the club has had with him (Twitter links via Dawson).
Presti praised Carmelo Anthony‘s willingness to make sacrifices for the Thunder during the regular season, but said it will be up to Anthony whether that role is one he wants to continue in (Twitter link via Dawson). Carmelo is considered extremely likely to pick up his $28MM player option.
The Thunder would be “really excited” if they’re able to bring back unrestricted free agent Jerami Grant next season, according to Presti (Twitter link).
More from Presti on the Thunder’s roster outlook for next season: “The opportunity to potentially have [Russell] Westbrook, Paul George and Steven Adams, all three of those guys in their prime years, is extremely exciting for us” (Twitter link via Erik Horne of The Oklahoman).

Thunder Rumors: Westbrook, Anthony, Donovan, George

April 30th, 2018 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder need to change their offensive system if they’re ever going to get deep in the playoffs again, Zach Lowe of ESPN argues in a detailed look at the team’s scheme over the years. Their overreliance on Russell Westbrook proved to be their downfall once again in the series against the Jazz. Westbrook used up 38% of their possessions in the series, a higher rate than even LeBron James had for the Cavaliers in the first round, Lowe notes. The Thunder need their other star players to have more coherent roles as well as build a better bench, so that they can hold their own when Westbrook rests. Lowe adds.

In other Thunder-related news and musings:

Trading Carmelo Anthony is the least likely outcome this offseason as the team tries to figure out what to do with the aging and disgruntled forward, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. Not only would it be tough to trade his contract if he picks up his $27.9MM option, he also has a no-trade clause, Horne notes. A buyout or utilizing the stretch provision are more viable options, or the team could simply retain him and hope for better results, Horne adds.
Making a decision whether to retain coach Billy Donovan ranks as the biggest issue immediately confronting the team, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News opines. Trying to hold onto impending free agent Paul George and figuring out a way to shed Anthony are two of the other major issues hanging over their head, Deveney continues. The recovery of defensive ace Andre Roberson from a knee injury is another concern, Deveney adds.
Donovan will probably keep his job but it could be even more difficult next season, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman argues. While the players generally respect and like Donovan, they don’t always follow his orders, Tramel continues Things could get even dicier next season if George doesn’t re-sign.However, Donovan still has two years and $12MM left on his contract, and that should work in his favor, Tramel adds.
George is quite aware how important he is to the organization and its future, Horne writes in a separate piece. George has been impressed with the franchise during his first season in Oklahoma City but there’s no telling if he’ll return. “We’ve had the high moments where we’ve seen what we can be,” George told Horne and other media members. “That’s the consistency part of just getting an identity as a group. I think we’re close. I think we’re close to accomplishing something bigger here.”

Thunder Notes: Anthony, George, Collison, Donovan

April 28th, 2018 at 5:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Scratch the idea of Carmelo Anthony accepting a reserve role if he decides to return to the Thunder next season. The veteran forward emphatically rejected the idea during today’s exit interviews, tweets ESPN’s Royce Young.

“I’m not sacrificing no bench role,” Anthony responded when asked about the possibility. “So that’s out of the question.”

Anthony has a player option for next season worth nearly $28MM that he is considered likely to exercise because he’ll have difficulty getting that amount in free agency. After averaging a career-low 32.1 minutes in his first season in Oklahoma City and sitting for extended stretches in the playoffs, there was speculation that he might be might be transitioned into a bench role for 2018/19, but today’s comments make it clear he wouldn’t be a willing participant.

There’s more from the Thunder’s exit interviews:

Paul George addressed his impending free agency again today, saying that playing at home in Los Angeles won’t be the “only option” when he hits the open market (Twitter link). George is considered a lock to opt out of his $20.7MM salary for next season and has long been rumored to have a desire to join the Lakers. George had an All-Star season during his first year in OKC, but his scoring, rebounding and shooting percentage from the floor all declined from last season with the Pacers.
Veteran big man Nick Collison, who has been with the franchise for his entire 14-year career, said, “I think I’ve decided,” when asked about his NBA future, relays Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). However, the 37-year-old added, “Today’s not the time to make any of those decisions final.”
Head coach Billy Donovan provided a brief answer when asked if he expects to be back with the team next season (Twitter link). “Let me say I’m excited about the organization,” he replied. “I love working with [GM] Sam [Presti], the people that are here. I haven’t given any thought to that. My total focus is how do we get better and improve.” Donovan still has two seasons remaining on the five-year contract he signed when he was hired in 2015, but the Thunder have suffered first-round playoff eliminations in the past two seasons.
Free agent guard Raymond Felton, who played for the veteran’s minimum this season, said he wants to return to the Thunder (Twitter link). “I don’t know what my future may hold,” the 33-year-old told reporters. “I would love to be back.”

Thunder Notes: Patterson, Anthony, Westbrook

December 19th, 2017 at 6:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Thunder may be better off sending Carmelo Anthony to the bench unit, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman contends. Horne notes that the offense often becomes stagnant with the team’s stars holding onto the ball too long and inserting Patrick Patterson in the starting lineup could be the solution to the team’s problems.

Patterson, who joined OKC during the offseason on a three-year, $16.4MM deal, prides himself on making quick decisions with the rock.

“Being able to decide as soon as I catch the ball if I want to drive or pass is something I’ve been carrying along for years,” Patterson said.

The power forward is averaging 1.29 seconds per touch this season, which is the second-lowest mark on the team, according to Horne.

In theory, adding Patterson in the starting five makes sense, though there isn’t much data on the potential new starting lineup. The Russell Westbrook–Andre Roberson–Paul George–Steven Adams-Patterson lineup has only played eight minutes this season and while it yielded a slight positive in net rating, it’s unclear how successful the lineup could be over the long-term. Factor in the potential negative chemistry consequences from changing a future Hall of Famer’s role and the potential retooling of the rotation appears even riskier.

Coach Billy Donovan wouldn’t rule out making that kind of move, but said that Patterson is “in a pretty good routine and role right now.”

Here’s more from Oklahoma City:

Donovan believes the Thunder’s chemistry is just fine but he acknowledges that the offense will require more ball movement if they are going to climb up in the standings, as Ken Berger of Bleacher Report relays. “They’re willing to work and they’re willing to sacrifice and they know that they have to change,” Donovan said of the team’s three stars. “And I think that change sometimes is difficult. It’s difficult, it’s challenging, it’s new. … But I think for the way we need to play to maximize our team, we’re going to have to move the ball, share the ball, and that’s been a little bit different for most of these guys.”
GM Sam Presti may have felt pressure to surround Westbrook with stars so that he would be more likely to ink an extension. While it worked, as Westbrook agreed to add five years to his pact, one anonymous league executive believes the team did more than it had to, as Berger passes along in the same piece.“I think they messed with the chemistry too much,” the Western Conference executive said. “They probably would’ve been fine with just George and Westbrook and some role players.”

Thunder Notes: Donovan, Westbrook, Roberson, George

December 2nd, 2017 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The bumpy start continues in Oklahoma City as coach Billy Donovan tries to mesh Paul George and Carmelo Anthony into a cohesive unit with Russell Westbrook, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Although they are all exceptional scorers, there are concerns that they don’t fit well together, and so far Westbrook [.400] and Anthony [.422] are posting their worst field goal percentages since they were rookies. Donovan continues to experiment with different combinations off the bench as the Thunder have stumbled to a 9-12 start.

“He has a style that he knows works, and we’re all in with Billy on it,” George said. “But again, he’s good with wanting what’s best for us and wanting what’s gonna make us comfortable out there.”

There’s more out of Oklahoma City:

Horne offers grades for all the Thunder players through the first quarter of the season in a separate story, and the reigning MVP only gets a B-minus. Westbrook has adjusted his game to accommodate George and Anthony and is still searching for the right balance between taking over games and setting up his teammates, Horne says. Anthony also gets a B-minus, while George receives an A.
A change in the starting lineup might be the answer to OKC’s early-season slump, suggests Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. He proposes replacing defensive specialist Andre Roberson with a better shooter such as Alex Abrines or Terrance Ferguson to create more spacing for the first unit. Donovan increased Ferguson’s minutes this week and gave Dakari Johnson a shot in Wednesday’s loss to Orlando, but he doesn’t seem ready to change the pairing of Westbrook, George, Anthony, Roberson and Steven Adams that has started every game this season. “I think that what happens in these situations is sometimes people look for the change for the sake of change because it looks like you’re doing something,” Donovan said. “I’ve always been a big believer of pinpointing what the issues and the challenges are that we’ve got to overcome.”
Magic coach Frank Vogel, who coached George in Indiana, described his former star as “selfless” in trying to make the union with Westbrook and Anthony successful, relays John Denton of NBA.com. He said the Thunder will benefit from George’s defensive abilities, which he described as “Allen Iverson’s instincts in Scottie Pippen’s body.’’