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Pacific Notes: Ayton, Paul, Kings, Warriors

June 23rd, 2021 at 10:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns center Deandre Ayton is playing in the Western Conference finals three years after being the first selection in the draft, but he tells Marc J. Spears of the Undefeated that most fans don’t see him as an elite player. Ayton had the highlight of his career Tuesday night when he dunked off an inbounds pass in the final second to give Phoenix a 2-0 series lead. It put him in the national spotlight after missing the playoffs during his first two NBA seasons.

“I still think they doubt me. I still think they don’t believe yet,” Ayton said. “I might be turning some heads with people that know basketball, like front-office types, and people that really know the game. I know I am probably stepping into the right direction. But I don’t think the world truly, truly sees that. But if I can win this whole thing, that is where I can get my reputation. That is where I can be a star.”

Although he has been effective since entering the league, Ayton has mostly been overshadowed — by Chris Paul and Devin Booker on the Suns and by Luka Doncic and Trae Young in his draft class. Ayton was suspended for 25 games during his second NBA season and has been criticized for a casual attitude, but he credits the arrival of coach Monty Williams and the success the team had after last year’s restart with turning that around.

“Winning was contagious and we added pieces like (Paul), Jae (Crowder), E’Twaun Moore, Langston Galloway and Torrey Craig,” Ayton said. “Those are guys who have been in the game and played at high levels like this. That is the best way I can think of how I turned my career into a positive one.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Suns have listed Paul as probable for Thursday’s Game 3, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. Paul has missed the first two games of the series while in the league’s health and safety protocols, but he expects to receive clearance to play tomorrow.
The Kings need more help than the draft can provide, so they should be aggressive about trying to get Ben Simmons from the Sixers, contends Jason Jones of The Athletic. He suggests offering Buddy Hield or Marvin Bagley III along with the No. 9 pick.
The Warriors have two selections in this year’s lottery, and president of basketball operations Bob Myers won’t say if he plans to hold onto both of them, per Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports. Golden State already has one development project in center James Wiseman and may not have room for two rookies as it hopes to get back into title contention. “We’re not trying to develop players at the risk of losing,” Myers said. “We’re not going to develop and have it cost us games. That’s not the plan.”

Suns Hopeful Chris Paul Will Be Available For Game 3

June 22nd, 2021 at 11:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Chris Paul has missed the first two games of the Western Conference Semifinals after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, but there’s optimism within the Suns‘ organization that the veteran point guard could be available for Game 3 on Thursday, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Adrian Wojnarowski.

Paul had only been isolated for six days as of Tuesday, and players who tested positive for the coronavirus during the regular season typically missed at least 10-14 days. However, ESPN’s duo notes that the NBA has different standards for players who have been vaccinated. Multiple reports have stated that CP3 has been vaccinated.

Despite his vaccination status, the expectation is that Paul will still need to test negative for the virus before being cleared. He hadn’t received clearance as of the start of Game 2 on Tuesday, per McMenamin and Wojnarowski.

The Suns haven’t really missed Paul in the first two games of the series, winning both contests in Phoenix as replacement point guard Cameron Payne averaged 20.0 PPG and 9.0 APG. However, as the series shifts to Los Angeles, the Suns would undoubtedly feel better about their chances of making the NBA Finals with their All-NBA point guard on the floor.

Middleton, Love, Holiday Expected To Play For U.S. Olympic Team

June 22nd, 2021 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

2:22pm: Paul won’t play for Team USA after all, according to Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the Suns point guard has declined an invitation to join the squad for the Tokyo games.

However, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has committed to Team USA, per Wojnarowski (via Twitter). He’ll take the backcourt spot that CP3 would’ve occupied, leaving one open spot on the tentative roster.

11:39am: USA Basketball continues to secure commitments for the Tokyo Olympics, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Bucks guard/forward Khris Middleton and Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love have committed to play for Team USA in Tokyo, their agents at Excel Basketball tell Wojnarowski. Meanwhile, sources inform Charania that Suns point guard Chris Paul plans to commit to the team as well.

The new series of additions means Team USA’s Olympic roster is now up to 11 tentative commitments, as follows:

Guards: Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, James Harden, Devin Booker, Paul
Forwards: Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Middleton
Bigs: Bam Adebayo, Draymond Green, Love

Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell turned down an invite from USA Basketball, opting to use the offseason for recovery and rehab following his right ankle injury, tweets Wojnarowski. After a few weeks of deliberation, Warriors star Stephen Curry has also decided not to represent Team USA in Tokyo, Charania notes (via Twitter). So neither Mitchell nor Curry will fill the 12th and final spot on the squad.

That 12th spot may be reserved for Paul George, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Before CP3’s commitment was reported, Vardon wrote that the Suns guard and the Clippers forward would be the favorites to get spots on Team USA if they’re willing to play.

Of course, the Suns and Clippers remain alive in the postseason, and at least one of them will be playing in the NBA Finals until at least mid-July. As Vardon relays, Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo said that Booker intends to play in Tokyo even if the Suns make it to the Finals and have to play a seven-game series. It’s unclear if Paul – and George, if he commits – will take a similar position.

Pacific Notes: Jones, CP3, Morris, Simmons

June 21st, 2021 at 9:23pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns general manager James Jones won his first NBA Executive of the Year award after just two years on the job. In a new piece, Gina Mizell of Suns.com details how Jones netted the honor.

As Mizell details, two years to the day before Jones won the award, he had his first draft as full-fledged team GM, selecting Cameron Johnson on June 20, 2019.

“[When] I was first drafted here, it was like, ‘Oh man, this team is terrible. I was a terrible pick. This team was destined for failure.’” Johnson reflected. “Then to get to this point now, going into the Western Conference Finals … (it) shows the trust and the faith and the confidence we have in one another.”

“He’s a big reason why we’re having the success, because of the team that he’s put together and the character of the players and the talent that he’s assembled,” head coach Monty Williams (a Jones hire) said of the man his NBA colleagues used to nickname “Champ.” “Just happy for him. He’s changed this thing in a short period of time.”

Among his more impactful moves for the 2020/21 season, Jones traded for All-Star point guard Chris Paul, signed starting power forward Jae Crowder, and traded for reserve swingman Torrey Craig. The Suns finished the abbreviated 2020/21 season with a 51-21 record, good for the second seed in the Western Conference.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Though Suns point guard Chris Paul will miss at least the first two games of Phoenix’s Western Conference Finals matchup against the Clippers, the 11-time All-Star has managed to remain a vocal figure even from a distance, writes Mark Medina of USA Today. “We put him on FaceTime,” All-Star Suns shooting guard Devin Booker said. “We lean on him for a lot, and we know how disappointed he is and frustrated he couldn’t be out here for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, especially knowing his past history around this time. But we know we had him all the way through. We brought him in the locker room. We had him in our after-game huddle. So he’s proud of us.” Paul continues to grapple with the NBA’s coronavirus-related health and safety protocols and will miss Game 2 of the series on Tuesday.
Clippers forward Marcus Morris suffered a knee injury during the first half of the Clippers’ 120-114 Game 1 loss to the Suns on Sunday. Though Morris is not on the club’s official injury report ahead of Game 2 yet, L.A. coach Tyronn Lue said that he was unsure whether Morris would suit on Tuesday, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
After Sixers All-Star point guard Ben Simmons underwhelmed in his club’s seven-game second-round series loss to the Hawks, James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area wonders if the Kings should consider trying to trade for the All-Defensive First-Teamer. Ham notes that Simmons will not come cheap, as the 24-year-old just completed the first season of the five-year, maximum-salary extension he signed with the team in the 2019 offseason. Though Ham asserts that Sacramento would not part with young guards De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton, he thinks that Simmons, though not a perfect match due to his flaws as a shooter, could be worth a look.

Chris Paul To Miss Game 2 Of Conference Finals

June 21st, 2021 at 7:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Suns point guard Chris Paul will miss his second straight game of the team’s Western Conference Finals matchup against the Clippers on Tuesday, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Gambadoro notes that Paul is still in the NBA’s health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID-19.

The club won its first game in the series on Sunday, 120-114, largely on the strength of a 40-point triple-double from Paul’s All-Star backcourt mate Devin Booker.

This marks just the second time in Paul’s 16-year career that the 11-time All-Star has earned a conference finals appearance. In the playoffs thus far, the 36-year-old is averaging 15.7 PPG, 8.7 APG, and 4.1 RPG in 31.2 MPG. He boasts a stellar shooting line of .509/.444/.912.

Chris Paul Symptom-Free, Hoping To Return Soon

June 21st, 2021 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

2:04pm: Despite the Suns’ optimism on Paul, there’s nothing to report today, according to head coach Monty Williams, who said that CP3’s status remains the same — he’s still in the health and safety protocols (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated).

8:05am: Suns point guard Chris Paul, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, has been symptom-free since registering that positive test, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

According to Haynes, the Suns are encouraged by the progress of Paul, who has been quarantining in Los Angeles, and are hopeful that he’ll be able to clear the NBA’s health and safety protocols at some point “early” in the Western Finals. Game 2 vs. the Clippers is scheduled for Tuesday following Phoenix’s Game 1 win on Sunday.

Paul has reportedly been vaccinated against the coronavirus, and the fact that he’s symptom-free should further expedite his return. However, he’ll still need to record multiple negative tests before he receives clearance to rejoin the team.

“It’s just a day-to-day thing with him right now,” head coach Monty Williams said after Sunday’s game, per Haynes. “I probably drive the people here crazy with that, but that’s the way it is. We’re hopeful that any day now we hear he can ramp up and get back with us. But right now, he’s in the protocol.”

Paul helped lead the Suns to the second-best record in the NBA season and wins in the first two rounds of the postseason, earning All-NBA Second Team honors and finishing fifth in MVP voting.

Even without him in the lineup though, Phoenix was able to pick up a win in Game 1 on Sunday over the Clippers, who are missing an All-NBA player of their own (Kawhi Leonard). Devin Booker made up for Paul’s absence by posting 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, while replacement point guard Cameron Payne recorded 11 points and nine assists, along with a plus-14 rating, in 29 minutes.

Chris Paul Ruled Out For Game 1 Of Western Conference Finals

June 19th, 2021 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:33pm: Paul has been ruled out for Game 1, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

6:16pm: Suns guard Chris Paul remains in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, and his availability for Game 1 is still uncertain, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Coach Monty Williams provided an update on Paul’s status after today’s practice.

“Because of the climate that we live, things change from day-to-day,” Williams said. “I try to take it one day at a time. I certainly understand the line of questions, but for me, based on the information and based on the history of this particular protocol, everything is day-to-day. So that’s how I have to approach it.”

Paul received the COVID-19 vaccination, but he still returned a positive test earlier this week. He was required to quarantine and will have to register multiple negative tests and be given medical clearance before he can play.

Paul is coming off his best game of the playoffs, scoring 37 points Tuesday as the Suns completed a sweep of the Nuggets. He appeared to be fully recovered from the shoulder injury that slowed him in the first-round series against the Lakers.

Phoenix had been hoping for a seventh game in the semifinal series between the Clippers and Jazz to give Paul more time, but L.A.’s win Friday night means the Western Conference finals will start Sunday.

Cameron Payne will likely take Paul’s place in the starting lineup if he’s not active, Rankin adds, with E’Twaun Moore and Jevon Carter possibly getting more playing time. Devin Booker may also see a few minutes at point guard.

Pacific Notes: Paul, Haliburton, Wiseman, George, Kings, Lakers

June 19th, 2021 at 1:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Suns guard Chris Paul entered the league’s health and safety protocols on Wednesday morning, and has been ruled out indefinitely pending his COVID-19 test results. With the Clippers defeating the Jazz on Saturday night to advance to the Western Conference Finals, head coach Monty Williams and the Suns are now preparing to enter their series against the Clippers without their star point guard.

While Williams wasn’t ready to give up on the idea of Paul playing, he is preparing to have to name another starter and Cameron Payne seems the likely replacement, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

“Cam has played with the starters a lot this year,” Williams said. “So it’s not anything that he hasn’t done or he’s not used to. So that part won’t change.”

Payne is coming off a breakout season following a strong performance in last year’s summer restart, and will soon face his biggest test as a pro.

“I’m just getting ready like any other series,” said Payne, as reported by Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin. “Just being ready to play when my name’s called. If I get an opportunity, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I’m ready.”

We have more from around the Pacific Division:

Kings rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton is fully healthy and ready to begin his offseason training, he reported on a recent episode of JJ Redick’s Old Man and the Three podcast. Haliburton also underwent Lasik eye surgery to avoid needing contacts moving forward, according to James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Former Warriors guard Leandro Barbosa weighs in on number two pick James Wiseman‘s rookie season, his struggles and his promise heading into year two, as covered by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Josh Schrock. “It’s complicated, but at the end of the day he’s a talent, he’s a guy that if he works, he’s going to be a very good player,” said Barbosa. “He’s able to do a bit of everything on the court. He’s just gotta understand the offense and the way we like to play.” Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets that there’s still a chance Wiseman works out with Kevin Garnett this offseason, which was the plan before Wiseman suffered a knee injury. “It should still happen. For sure,” says Wiseman.
Paul George and the Clippers rallied following news of Kawhi Leonard‘s ACL injury, winning two straight games to advance to the Western Conference Finals. George, who hasn’t reached a Conference Finals since 2014, discussed the relief of getting past the second round, as tweeted by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “It was a special night,” George said. “You felt the monkey off of the Clippers’ back in terms of getting out of the second round.”
NBC Sports Bay Area’s James Ham discusses the Kings‘ hopes for a little extra luck during Tuesday’s draft lottery. He also suggests that if the Kings fail to move up (they have a 20% chance to jump into the top four), everyone will potentially be available for trades outside of De’Aaron Fox and Haliburton.
Following a season ravaged by injuries, the Lakers have decided not to renew the contract of their trainer, reports ESPN’s David McMenamin. Nina Hsieh was hired two years ago after being the head trainer for the Lakers’ G League team. McMenamin says to expect more changes as the Lakers continue to try to revamp their staff to focus on player health.

Woj’s Latest: Irving, Harden, Leonard, Paul

June 17th, 2021 at 12:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s “no expectation” that injured point guard Kyrie Irving will return during the Nets‘ series with the Bucks, even if it goes to a seventh game, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said this morning on “Get Up” (video link).

Irving, who is dealing with a a sprained right ankle he suffered Sunday, has already been ruled out for tonight’s Game 6. He didn’t travel to Milwaukee with his teammates, opting to stay in Brooklyn to get treatment on the ankle.

The Nets remain hopeful that Irving will be available for the Eastern Conference finals if they able are to advance, but Woj said they “don’t have a real timetable” on a possible return.

Wojnarowski shared a few more items during the ESPN segment:

Nets guard James Harden may not be fully recovered from a hamstring injury, but he will definitely be in the lineup for Game 6. Harden played 46 minutes in Game 5 and should be available for the rest of the series if he doesn’t aggravate the hamstring.
The Clippers don’t expect to have Kawhi Leonard back for Game 6 or 7 against Utah, and his return at any time during the playoffs is uncertain. The team will learn more about Leonard’s status in “the next 24 to 48 hours,” Wojnarowski adds, saying the Clippers are hopeful that it’s not a severe injury that will impact Leonard beyond this season.
The Suns are optimistic that Chris Paul won’t miss significant time after being placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. However, Wojnarowski adds that Phoenix is hoping the Jazz-Clippers series gets extended to a seventh game so the Suns won’t have to play again until Tuesday. He cautions that Paul and the team are “at the mercy of the testing” and have no control over what those results will show.

Chris Paul Enters Health And Safety Protocols

June 16th, 2021 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

1:29pm: The Suns have put out a brief press release confirming that Paul is in the health and safety protocols and announcing that the next update will come on Saturday.

11:22am: Paul has registered a positive COVID-19 test, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.

Gambadoro adds that Paul was vaccinated earlier this year. However, the 36-year-old would still require a quarantine period and would need to return multiple negative tests and receive medical clearance before he returns to the court.

7:42am: Suns point guard Chris Paul has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols related to COVID-19, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, Paul will be sidelined for an indefinite period of time, and his status for the start of the Western Conference Finals is up in the air.

For most of the 2020/21 NBA season, a player who tested positive for the coronavirus was typically sidelined for at least 10-to-14 days, while a player who was deemed a close contract of someone who tested positive generally had to quarantine for a week.

It’s not clear, however which of those categories Paul may fall into. Depending on the circumstances, CP3’s isolation period could also be shorter if he has been vaccinated, Charania notes.

The NBA had managed to successfully navigate the coronavirus during the postseason up until this point, reporting in recent weeks that no new players had registered positive tests since the playoffs began. But if Paul has to miss any of the Suns’ next series, it would be a brutal break for the him and the team, especially given how thoroughly Phoenix dominated the Nuggets in a four-game sweep in round two.

If the series between the Jazz and Clippers requires seven games to determine a winner, it would benefit the Suns by potentially pushing back the start of the Western Finals. Game 5 of that Utah/L.A. series will be played tonight, with Game 6 on Friday. If a Game 7 is necessary, it would take place on Sunday.

Paul helped lead the Suns to the NBA’s second-best record this season, averaging 16.4 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game with a shooting line of .499/.395/.934 in 70 contests (31.4 MPG). He was named to the All-NBA Second Team on Tuesday.

If Paul has to miss any time, Phoenix would lean more heavily on backup point guard Cameron Payne, who had some big games in the first round when CP3 was battling a shoulder injury.