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Hawks’ Young, Capela Listed As Questionable For Game 5

June 30th, 2021 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks guard Trae Young and center Clint Capela are listed as questionable for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.

Young missed Game 4 on Tuesday with a right foot bone bruise, so the questionable tag should give Hawks fans some hope he’ll return to action in the pivotal game of the series. Atlanta’s 110-88 victory in Game 4 knotted the series at 2-2.

Capela is dealing with right eye inflammation. He caught an elbow from Bucks guard Sam Merrill in the late going, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. He contributed 15 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes during Game 4.

Additionally, Bogdan Bogdanovic is listed as probable despite right knee soreness, Spencer adds.

The Bucks are likely to be without their star. Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as doubtful after suffering a hyperextension of his left knee in Game 4. An MRI revealed no structural damage.

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Giannis Has No Structural Damage In Knee, Doubtful For Game 5

June 30th, 2021 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

4:02pm: Antetokounmpo has been listed as doubtful for Game 5, according to the Bucks (Twitter link). The team added in a press release that today’s MRI on Giannis’ knee confirmed the original diagnosis of a hyperextension.

3:24pm: Further testing on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s injured left knee revealed no structural damage, according to Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). His ligaments are sound, sources tell ESPN’s duo.

That’s great news for the Bucks and Antetokounmpo, who was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee after falling awkwardly during Game 4 on Tuesday. However, the two-time MVP’s timetable to return remains unclear, per Lowe and Wojnarowski.

Both Antetokounmpo and Hawks star Trae Young are dealing with injuries and haven’t yet been cleared to play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday. We should learn more about their respective statuses either later today or early tomorrow.

The Bucks, who are already down one starter (Donte DiVincenzo), will have to lean more heavily on stars Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday if Giannis is unable to play on Thursday in Milwaukee. Brook Lopez and/or Bobby Portis could also be asked to play a larger role in the frontcourt.

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Antetokounmpo Leaves Game Four With Knee Injury

June 29th, 2021 at 9:53pm CST by Eli Cohen

Giannis Antetokounmpo left Game Four of the Bucks‘ series with the Hawks in the third quarter after injuring his left knee. He did not return to the game.

The initial diagnosis is a hyperextended knee, according to the Bucks, but more tests are likely to come to determine the extent of the injury and a potential return timeline.

Antetokounmpo had to be carried off the court by his brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo before walking the rest of the way himself. He initially returned to the bench before heading back to the locker room and being ruled out for the rest of the game. GM Jon Horst headed to the tunnel as well, tweets Ben Golliver of the Washington Post.

Hawks guard Trae Young missed Game Four altogether due to a foot injury, so neither Atlanta nor Milwaukee is assured of having its star player available for Game Five on Thursday. The Hawks’ win on Tuesday has evened the series at two games apiece.

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Central Notes: Sexton, Cavs Expectations, Cavs Offseason, Middleton

June 28th, 2021 at 5:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the third pick in the 2021 draft now headed their way, the Cavaliers are set to consider a litany of offseason moves, including the possibility of trading 22-year-old combo guard Collin Sexton. However, sources close to Sexton anticipate that he will be part of the club’s long-term outlook, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“Our guys are hungry. I think they understand that there’s talent here and that has to now translate into wins at some point,” team general manager Koby Altman said at the conclusion of the Cavaliers’ season, when the team finished with a disappointing 22-50 record. “It’s on me to help supplement that young talent and it’s on (head coach J.B. Bickerstaff) to keep growing the culture here.”

The 6’1″ Sexton shares an undersized starting backcourt with fellow 6’1″ recent lottery selection Darius Garland. Sexton had a standout season statistically, averaging career highs of 24.3 PPG and 4.4 APG, while tying his career highs of 3.1 RPG and 1.0 SPG.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • Given that they’re now armed with the No. 3 overall pick, it’s fair to expect growth from the Cavaliers next season, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. “I don’t want to put the pressure and the burden on the young core that it’s playoffs or bust, although that’s sort of what they’re talking about,” GM Koby Altman told Lloyd on Bally Sports Great Lakes’ “Drennan Live.” “If it’s the play-in tournament, if it’s playoffs, that’s where their mindset is and what they’re thinking about every day.” Lloyd notes that his preference would be to trade leading scorer Sexton, eligible for a lucrative contract extension this summer, in exchange for a proven veteran.
  • The Cavaliers will have a lot of optionality during the 2021 offseason, as Bobby Marks of ESPN details in a detailed look at Cleveland’s summer. Marks contends that, with a high draft pick in a loaded, top-heavy 2021 draft, the Cavaliers will be able to build on their intriguing young core of guards Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, wing Isaac Okoro, and center Jarrett Allen, should the team opt to retain everyone. Marks notes that, because the Cavaliers’ salary cap is clogged with veteran contracts, the team needs to maximize the on-court value of those pricey veterans, including former All-Star Kevin Love.
  • Though Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t get along with swingman Khris Middleton during their first season together in 2013/14 as they battled one another for playing time, Antetokounmpo says he trusts his sharp-shooting sidekick “to death” now, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. With the Bucks just two wins away from their first NBA Finals appearance in 47 years (not a typo), Middleton put on an offensive clinic in a triumphant Game 3 victory over the Hawks, pouring in 38 points to go along with 12 rebounds and seven assists. “It’s great seeing this guy, man, the way we started, the way we are, the way he started and the way that he is right now, just closing games,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s what we need from Khris. We need him to be aggressive. We need him to be taking over games, make good decisions, and play off him.”
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Central Notes: Kuminga, Antetokounmpo, Bucks, Pistons

June 27th, 2021 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Members of the Cavaliers‘ front office attended the pro day for Jonathan Kuminga on Saturday, and the G League standout will receive consideration with the No. 3 pick, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The team plans to bring Kuminga to Cleveland for a private workout sometime in July, Fedor adds.

As a 6’8″ forward who offers both athleticism and skill, Kuminga is expected to be taken in the first half of the lottery. Conventional wisdom has Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs going in the top four, but Kuminga may be a better fit for Cleveland.

“He showed up and shot it well,” a scout told Fedor after Kuminga’s workout. “He really helped himself today. He won’t fall past No. 5.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Bucks are focused on reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 50 years and they could do without the controversy that happens every time Giannis Antetokounmpo steps to the foul line, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The two-time MVP has a lengthy free-throw routine that seems to exceed the 10-second limit for taking a shot, and fans have started counting to 10 every time he gets the ball. “Usually I take eight to nine seconds,” Antetokounmpo claims. “Borderline 10 seconds. When my coaching staff tells me to like, speed it up, I know that maybe I’m around 10. Or sometimes the referee talks to me and tells me, ‘You’ve got to speed it up.’ Then I make an effort to maybe take it a second or two seconds faster. But my mindset going into this game was go through my routine, get as many dribbles as I can, get my breath and just shoot my shot.”
  • Bucks guards Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday have committed to play for Team USA in the Olympics, but they insist it won’t be a distraction, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Along with the Suns’ Devin Booker, they are they the only Team USA members still active in the playoffs. “I think I’m always focused on the immediate, what’s happening right now. That’s been my main focus, and it’s going to continue to be that,” Holiday said. “If we go the finals or whatever happens, up until that point, this is what matters.”
  • The Pistons should make the obvious choice and take Cunningham with the No. 1 pick, argues Rod Beard of The Detroit News (subscriber only).
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Bucks Notes: Tucker, Lopez, Antetokounmpo, Coaching Staff

June 20th, 2021 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

During his years with the Rockets, P.J. Tucker was never able to get past Kevin Durant‘s Warriors teams in the playoffs, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The Bucks acquired Tucker at the trade deadline to match up with elite scorers like Durant, and he finally prevailed over his long-time rival in Milwaukee’s Game 7 victory Saturday night.

The Bucks used several players on Durant during the series, but the primary job belonged to Tucker, his friend and fellow Texas alum. Durant had another incredible performance Saturday with 48 points in 53 minutes, but he air-balled a shot at the end that could have sent the game to a second overtime.

“It’s painful. I’m hurting. That was a battle every single night,” Tucker said. “To be able to finally get over the hump is pretty nice.”

There’s more on the Bucks:

  • Brook Lopez was determined to make up for a mental error he committed late in the fourth quarter, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Lopez lost track of the shot clock with 8.1 seconds remaining, resulting in a turnover that gave the Nets a chance to tie the game. He responded by blocking a layup attempt by Durant with a minute left in overtime. “After that (shot clock violation) happened, I just took it upon myself,” Lopez said. “I told my teammates, ‘I made a mistake, but let’s go get this.’ I’m gonna fix this, we’re gonna fix this and so it happened, but it was great to see how resilient we were.”
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is making his second trip to the conference finals, wants to make sure his teammates stay focused on the challenge ahead. After Saturday’s win, he wrote an 8 in the locker room, which is how many more wins the Bucks need to capture a championship, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “It’s a great feeling,’’ Antetokounmpo said. “I try not to get too high or low. I got emotional a little bit out there. The team really tried their best. Just being able to come to New York and were 0 for 5 here and in Game 7 and everyone’s anxious and nervous and able to execute and trust each other. It was big time. I’m really happy for this team. We’re halfway through. I want everyone to cherish this moment.’’
  • Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee have been rumored for head coaching opportunities around the league, and Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer believes they’re ready, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. “They’re incredible coaches,” he said.
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NBA Announces 2020/2021 All-NBA Teams

June 15th, 2021 at 8:07pm CST by Eli Cohen

The NBA has officially announced the All-NBA First, Second, and Third Teams for the 2020/21 season, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way as the lone unanimous selection for the First Team.

Antetokounmpo and Nuggets‘ MVP Nikola Jokic were the two top vote-getters, combining for 998 out of a possible 1,000 points, with Warriors guard Stephen Curry following shortly behind. Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic rounding out the top five.

The full All-NBA teams are listed below, with their vote totals in parentheses. Players received five points for a First Team vote, three points for a Second Team vote, and one point for a Third Team vote, so Giannis scored a perfect 500 — First Team nods from all 100 voters.

All-NBA First Team

All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Third Team

Among the players who just missed the cut were Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (69), Wizards guard Russell Westbrook (44), Nets guard James Harden (41), Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (37) and Heat center Bam Adebayo (32). A total of 12 other players received votes. The full results can be found here.

Today’s announcement has major financial implications across the league. Tatum, who received more votes than Kyrie Irving but still fell 20 votes short of a final forward spot, will lose out on a projected $32.6MM on his rookie scale extension, as his next deal will start at 25% of the cap instead of the 30% he would have received if he’d been named to an All-NBA team. Likewise, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox and Adebayo will all receive starting salaries worth 25% of the cap on their respective extensions as a result of missing out on All-NBA honors.

Doncic, having been named to his second consecutive All-NBA First Team, will be eligible for a 30% extension that would be worth a projected $201MM+ and is almost certain to be offered this summer. Doncic has previously made clear his intentions to sign the extension when offered. It will go into effect for the 2022/23 season.

Embiid is now eligible for a super-max contract extension, which would run for four years, starting in 2023/24, and would be worth a projected $191MM, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. It’s unclear whether the Sixers will immediately put this extension on the table this offseason.

Bradley Beal‘s deal will not change with his first career All-NBA selection, as he is already eligible for a 35% contract extension on his next deal. Jokic, having been named MVP previously this week, also sees no change in his possible future super-max extension, which will be worth approximately $241MM.

Hoops Rumors readers accurately picked 12 of this season’s 15 All-NBA players in our poll. Devin Booker, Adebayo, and Tatum were your picks who didn’t make the official list.

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NBA All-Defensive Teams Announced

June 14th, 2021 at 6:24pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has officially announced the voting results for its two 2020/21 All-Defensive teams.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in four seasons, and Sixers guard Ben Simmons were unanimous selections for the All-Defensive First Team. Both players made the First Team lists of all 100 tallied ballots, for a perfect total of 200 points. Votes are given to 100 media members.

This marks Gobert’s fifth straight appearance on the All-Defensive First Team, and the second consecutive All-Defensive First Team honor for Simmons.

Warriors forward Draymond Green garnered 176 points (including 80 First Team votes). Green was named Defensive Player of the Year in the 2016/17 season. This year’s nod is his fourth First Team honor, and his sixth total All-Defensive team.

Two Bucks players rounded out the All-Defensive First Team this season. Guard Jrue Holiday netted 157 points (65 First Team) and All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year, earned 135 total points (43 First Team). Antetokounmpo has just made his third straight All-Defensive First Team, and his fourth All-Defensive team overall. This is Holiday’s second All-Defensive First Team appearance and his third overall All-Defensive team.

[RELATED: Rudy Gobert Named Defensive Player Of The Year]

Two All-Defensive First-Teamers have unlocked contract bonuses associated with the honor. Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets that Gobert will receive a $500K bonus for the inclusion this season. Marks adds (Twitter link) that Holiday will pocket a cool $100K for making All-Defensive First Team. Holiday has other contract incentives associated with his team’s further postseason advancement.

The All-Defensive Second Team honorees are led by Heat stars Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, who each netted 111 points (37 First Team votes) apiece. Adebayo makes his second All-Defensive Second Team with the nod today. This is Butler’s fifth such honor.

Simmons’s Sixers teammates Joel Embiid and Matisse Thybulle also make the cut. It is the third All-Defensive team nod for Embiid and the first appearance for Thybulle. Clippers All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard, a former two-time Defensive Player of the Year, rounds out the All-Defensive Second Team this season.

Here are the full voting results for the All-Defensive First and Second Teams, with each player’s point total noted in parentheses:

First Team:

Second Team:

Suns guard/forward Mikal Bridges, Hawks center Clint Capela, and Pacers forward/center Myles Turner were among the highest vote-getters who missed the cut for the Second Team. You can find the full voting results right here.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Central Notes: Giannis, Holiday, McDermott, Stanley, Cavs

April 30th, 2021 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was already dealing with a minor right ankle sprain entering Thursday’s game against Houston, aggravated that injury early in the first quarter, stepping on Kelly Olynyk‘s foot and rolling the ankle (link via ESPN). He didn’t return to the game.

Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said after the game that there’s hope Giannis’ sprain isn’t too serious, adding that the team will see how it responds to treatment and go from there. Milwaukee has played it relatively safe with the two-time MVP this season as the club focuses on getting fully healthy for the postseason, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Antetokounmpo misses a little time — even if it’s out of abundance of caution.

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Within his weekly “10 Things” article for ESPN.com (Insider link), Zach Lowe highlights the play of Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, who recently signed a long-term extension, and Pacers forward Doug McDermott, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Holiday is having arguably the best season of his career, while McDermott has developed into a strong finisher at the rim and deserves Sixth Man of the Year consideration, Lowe writes.
  • Pacers rookie guard Cassius Stanley is on a two-way contract that expires at season’s end, prompting J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) to wonder if the team should be giving him more playing time to determine whether he’s worth a longer-term investment. Stanley has logged just 54 total minutes in 19 games this season.
  • The Cavaliers have some promising young talent on their roster, but still lack a potential franchise player who can be the centerpiece of the rebuild, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who points out that the Cavs’ recent skid should put them in a better position to draft one of those players this summer.
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Central Notes: Vucevic, Bulls, Antetokounmpo, Horst

April 20th, 2021 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls collected a big road win at Boston on Monday but have generally struggled since trading for Nikola Vucevic. Billy Donovan believes the team’s rotation players were slow to adjust to new roles with the addition of the All-Star center, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

“The trade really messed up our team a little,” the Bulls’ head coach said. “I don’t say that in a negative way. What I mean by that is everybody kind of got out of their normal rotation, how they were playing, how they were being used. We lost a little bit of our competitiveness not because we didn’t want to compete and play hard. It was really more of guys had to figure out their roles and what to do in their role.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • The Bulls will likely open their doors to fans before the regular season ends, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. Mayor Lori Lightfoot expressed optimism that “there will be fans in the United Center” in the very near future. Chicago has seven home games remaining.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo missed several games with a knee injury but that’s not why he sat out most of overtime during a loss to Phoenix on Monday, according to Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I just cramped. Got to get more fluids in me. That’s pretty much it,” the Bucks’ franchise player said.
  • Bucks GM Jon Horst feels he accomplished his mission by trading for forward P.J. Tucker and adding point guard Jeff Teague via the buyout market, he told Eric Nehm of The Athletic in a Q&A session. Horst feels they could be the final pieces to a championship puzzle. “I could not be happier the way that we came out of the trade deadline and the buyout market in terms of how we’ve hopefully finished off this roster,” he said.
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