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Coronavirus Notes: Health Risks, Lin, LeBron, Facilities

May 2nd, 2020 at 5:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

Several NBA general managers are expressing concern over the safety of their coaching staffs and other personnel if the league resumes its season, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that the coronavirus presents higher risk factors to older adults and people with underlying health conditions, which will factor into decisions on who will be allowed into a “bubble” environment.

“Based on all the information that we have today, probably people over 60 with preexisting conditions can’t go, for sure, no matter what their titles are,” one general manager told Holmes. “Whether it’s a father of the star player or whether it’s the general manager of the team, they can’t go there.”

The NBA is considering a bubble concept, with all its games taking place in a central location such as Las Vegas or Orlando. We learned this week that players and coaches will be permitted to bring their families with them for however long it takes to finish the season. The executives Holmes talked to agreed that once the concept gets closer to reality, teams will be forced to make difficult decisions on who qualifies as essential.

“The one area you don’t want to skimp on is the medical,” a GM said. “The coaching part of it, you could probably get by with a head coach, that’s it.”

There’s more coronavirus news to pass along:

Former NBA player Jeremy Lin tells Steve Serby of The New York Post that life in China means constant testing for the virus as he waits for the CBA season to resume. “I got tested before quarantine and after quarantine,” Lin said, “and honestly, anywhere you go any time, every restaurant, every mall, everything everywhere, every time I enter my apartment, I get my temperature checked, too. They’re constantly monitoring.”
LeBron James has the most to lose if the season can’t be completed, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. James has the Lakers on top of the Western Conference with a 49-14 record, and at age 35 he may not have a better chance to win another ring. Woike lists the Bucks, Clippers, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni and the fans as other potential losers.
In case you missed it, some practice facilities can reopen Friday, but at least half of the league’s teams are in states where stay-at-home orders are still in effect.

Eastern Notes: LeBron, Celtics, Eversley, Pistons

May 2nd, 2020 at 11:35am CST by Dana Gauruder

Don’t rule out LeBron James finishing his career with the Knicks, The New York Post’s Marc Berman writes in his latest mailbag. James loves playing in Madison Square Garden and would like to play with his son Bronny, now 15, before he retires. If James plays long enough to suit up with his son, finishing out his career in New York could add to his legacy, Berman adds.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren told season ticket holders that the front office is well-prepared for any draft scenario, Celtics analyst Marc D’Amico tweets. Boston could have as many as three first-round selections. “Regardless of what happens, we’ll be very ready for the draft,” Zarren said.
New Bulls GM Marc Eversley is intrigued by the youth dotting the team’s roster but wants to figure why some of those players didn’t develop as expected this season, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports. In particular, he wants to see if the team can get more out of power forward Lauri Markkanen. “Lauri is a modern-day stretch four,” he said. “I think he’s got a great stroke. He’s got a wonderful shooting touch. He regressed a little bit last year. I’d love to learn more about that.”
The Pistons need to prioritize not only acquiring talent but also high-character players, Keith Langlois of the team’s website writes. Getting the best players they can find with their lottery pick and cap space, regardless of what position they’ll play or how they’ll complement others on the roster, should be their approach going forward.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Pelinka, Bryant, Green

April 8th, 2020 at 8:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

In a conference call today with reporters, LeBron James said he has been training four or five times each day during the shutdown and shooting with his children on his outdoor court, tweets Mark Medina of USA Today. James also addressed the wait for the league to start playing again, saying he understands that the health of safety of everyone involved comes first, but he’s strongly hoping the season can be completed (Twitter link).

“I don’t think I’ll be able to have any closure if we’re not able to finish the season,” he said.

James referred to the pandemic as “a roadblock for all of us” and “a test,” adds Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum Sportsnet (Twitter link). With the Lakers holding the West’s best record, they have extra motivation to resume the season, but James said he hasn’t spoken directly to commissioner Adam Silver about the situation.

“(In a perfect world), it would be with fans in the stands,” James said. “It just makes the game that much better.” (Twitter link).

There’s more Lakers news to pass along:

General manager Rob Pelinka takes inspiration from Kobe Bryant while dealing with the pandemic and its effects on the team, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. “He would always say that the trials of life are kind of when greatness is forged,” Pelinka said today during a Zoom call with reporters. “If you were on a knight’s journey with him and a huge fire-breathing dragon ended up in the pathway ahead, he would say, ‘OK, this is why this is good right now. We’re going to meet this challenge and here’s how we’re going to get around it and here’s how we’re going to defeat it.’ That was just his nature, that obstacles or hard times would lead somehow to growth, and I think that’s the way I’m going to look at 2020.”
The Lakers are also using Zoom, a videoconferencing service, to allow their players to work out together even though they can’t be in the same place, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The strength and conditioning staff delivers fitness equipment to the players for workout sessions. “These guys just have a great chemistry of being together,” Pelinka said. “So they’ve tried to stay as connected as possible in the ways they can, working out together virtually.”
Danny Green said on his recent podcast that players will use “any means necessary … to try and salvage the season,” relays Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report. “Right now we’re fighting,” Green said. “Most guys think that for sure we’re going to have a season, it’s just going to start later than we expected, and just trying to get the next season to be pushed back is not going to be as easy as people think it’s going to be.”

Kobe, Duncan, Garnett, Tomjanovich To Be Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

April 3rd, 2020 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA stars Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

This year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony figures to be an emotional affair, with Bryant headlining the 2020 class just months after his tragic passing. The Lakers‘ legend was an 18-time All-Star and five-time NBA champion, winning the MVP award in 2008 to go along with a pair of Finals MVPs. He is fourth on the league’s all-time scoring list and won scoring titles in 2006 and 2007.

Bryant will be joined by a pair of fellow NBA champions, including Duncan, who won three Finals MVPs and five titles in total. Like Bryant, he was named to an All-NBA team 15 times over the course of his career. The longtime Spurs‘ big man was one of the best players of his era, ranking sixth on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list and fifth in blocked shots.

While Garnett’s résumé isn’t quite as decorated as that of Bryant and Duncan, he earned 15 All-Star nods, an MVP award (in 2004), a Defensive Player of the Year award (2008), and a title in 2008 with the Celtics. Garnett, who began his career with the Timberwolves, ranks in the NBA’s top 20 in career points, rebounds, blocks, and steals.

Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett may be this year’s headliners, but they aren’t the only ones being inducted into the Hall of Fame. According to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link), former Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich has also been elected.

Tomjanovich is one of just three coaches to win both an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal. He coached Houston to a pair of championships in the mid-1990s and had an impressive career as a Rockets player prior to his coaching days, earning five NBA All-Star nods in his 11-year career.

Tamika Catchings, Kim Mulkey, Eddie Sutton, and Barbara Stevens were announced as Hall of Fame finalists in February — it’s unclear if anyone from that group will be inducted into the 2020 class alongside Bryant, Duncan, Garnett, and Tomjanovich. The official announcement will happen on Saturday.

It remains to be seen what form this year’s induction ceremony will take. It’s scheduled to happen on August 29 in Springfield, Massachusetts, but there’s no guarantee that the coronavirus situation will have improved enough by then to hold large-scale gatherings.

Heat Notes: Crowder, Big Three, Player Options

March 29th, 2020 at 6:59pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat forward Jae Crowder hopes to stay with the team past this season and re-sign in free agency, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

Miami traded for Crowder, along with Andre Iguodala and Solomon Hill, in a deal that sent Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and James Johnson to Memphis in February. Crowder played just 13 games in a Heat uniform, averaging 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest.

“I’m just very happy to be a part of this organization because I’ve always envisioned that, but I never knew if it could come true,” Crowder said. “But I always wanted to play for this city.”

Crowder, an eight-year veteran, is a proven three-and-D forward who can provide major minutes in traditional or small-ball lineups. It’s unclear whether he’ll play for the Heat again, with the NBA currently waiting to see if it will be possible to proceed with the season and postseason.

“I’m a Southern guy for the most part. I’m from Atlanta, but I just didn’t want to live back home,” Crowder said. “Whenever I was coming here and my agent was here and I was able to train here when I’m not doing my workouts and stuff, it just felt right. It just felt like home. I quickly adjusted and I made it home. I didn’t want to live in Atlanta. … Then I was able to make some money here and I bought a house. Once I did that, it was like a no-brainer that this is my home.”

There’s more out of Miami tonight:

Former Heat superstar LeBron James thought a loss to the Celtics in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals could’ve ended the famous “big three” consisting of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, as relayed by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. A loss to Boston would’ve marked the second consecutive dissappointing season for Miami, with the well-documented 2011 Finals collapse coming less than one year prior. “My mentality was if we lose, [Heat president] Pat Riley may break us all up. And I [didn’t] want that,” James said. “It might be the quickest breakup in basketball history.” Miami ultimately bounced back from a 3-2 deficit to win the series, advancing to the Finals and defeating Oklahoma City 4-1.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether some NBA player options will become moot this offseason in his latest mailbag. Heat big man Kelly Olynyk is among the talents who have a player option for next season, valued at $12.2MM. Winderman speculates that just about every player with a sizable player option (i.e. DeMar DeRozan, $27.8MM), will strongly consider staying with their team due to the current state of economics and lack of salary cap space that clubs are set to have.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald examines where the Heat’s young talent — Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn — would be selected if each of their respective drafts were re-started. All four players have proven their worth this season, with Adebayo making his first All-Star selection, Herro showing promise as a scorer, Robinson transitioning into one of the league’s best three-point shooters and Nunn playing as one of the top rookies.

Coronavirus Notes: LeBron, Young, Curry, Temple

March 26th, 2020 at 8:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Lakers All-Star LeBron James spoke about his feelings on returning to the NBA amidst the coronavirus pandemic with his former Cavaliers teammates Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye – plus Lakers studio host Allie Clifton – for their Road Trippin’ Podcast (h/t to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin).

James feels uncomfortable about potentially playing games without fans. “So to get back on the floor, I would love it,” he said. “Let’s just go to each other’s practice facility, put out a camera, just scrimmage and livestream it. … I just don’t know how we can imagine a sporting event without fans. It’s just, it’s a weird dynamic.”

On the podcast, James also advocates for the NBA playing a handful of regular season games before the playoffs, assuming the 2019/20 season can resume at all. “One thing you can’t just do is go straight to the playoffs… Because it discredits the 60-plus games that guys had fighting for that position.”

Here are a few more items related to the coronavirus pandemic and the NBA’s hiatus:

After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NBA to postpone its season, All-Star Hawks point guard Trae Young returned from Atlanta to his offseason home near his family in Norman, Oklahoma, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
Warriors All-Star point guard Stephen Curry has been a solid voice of reason amidst the coronavirus chaos, as Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Curry hosted an informative 30-minute Q&A on his Instagram with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Nets wing Garrett Temple has opted to use the NBA’s indefinite postponement to study for the LSATs, as he told the YES Network’s Michael Grady (h/t to New York Post’s Brian Lewis). “I’m going to be honest, I’ve been sleeping a good amount, but also trying to take on a new task,” Temple said. “I’ve actually started practicing for the LSAT prep.”

Western Notes: Johnson, LeBron, Aldridge, DeRozan

March 24th, 2020 at 9:24pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Cameron Johnson, who was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2019 draft, should see an increased role next season in Phoenix, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic contends. The Suns rookie had made 91 three-pointers in 49 games and his progression may allow the franchise to focus on other position as it looks to upgrade the roster this summer.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Lakers star LeBron James is being sued by a photographer for posting content on his social media pages without permission, as I detailed on Heavy.com. The photojournalist captured a picture of James dunking on Meyers Leonard earlier in the season.
Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News examines LaMarcus Aldridge‘s season and wonders if the 34-year-old big man has a lengthy future with the Spurs. Aldridge has one year and $24MM left on his deal after this season.
DeMar DeRozan‘s future with the Spurs isn’t certain either, as McDonald writes in a separate piece. The shooting guard is expected to decline his player option for next season and seek a long-term contract—either with San Antonio or another club.

Pacific Notes: James, Warriors Wings, Warriors Draft, Suns

March 20th, 2020 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James indicated during an Instagram Live appearance that he’d like to finish out his career with the Lakers, Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays. James is in the second year of his four-year pact with the Lakers, though the final year at $41MM is a player option. Answering a question on Instagram, James said, “What NBA team would I never play for? I’m still playing, man. Hey, I’ve got to keep all my options open, man. But right now I’ll tell you one thing: I don’t want to go nowhere besides be here, baby. Be a Laker for the rest of my life.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Warriors will likely sign a veteran free agent wing during the offseason using the taxpayer mid-level exception, Anthony Slater of The Athletic speculates. Maurice Harkless, Jae Crowder, Josh Jackson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams are possibilities, as is a reunion with Glenn Robinson III. Among members of the current roster, Damion Lee is the most likely to stick behind Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson, Slater adds.
The Warriors will be looking in the lottery for a player who can jump right into their rotation, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. The team’s director of player personnel, Larry Harris, told Poole of the plan. “Yes, we’ll try to find someone who can come in play right away,” Harris said. “But we also know that when you’re picking this high, a lot of guys are 18, 19, 20 years old. To expect them to come in and be contributors right away, we’re not so naive to think it won’t take time. But we feel there are some players in this draft, up high, that have the ability to come in and play some minutes.”
Renovations for the Suns’ Talking Stick Resort Arena and construction of their new practice facility are expected to remain on schedule despite the suspension of the season, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. The $45MM practice facility is projected to be completed by August. The $230MM arena renovation project is scheduled to have 65% of the upgrades done going into next season.

Hiatus Notes: TV Revenue, Benson, Storylines, Clippers

March 16th, 2020 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA hopes to play at least 70 regular-season games this season in order to retain 100% of the revenue the league receives from their regional sports network partners, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (hat tip to RealGM). Those networks broadcast games in local markets. An abbreviated resumption of the regular season would also serve as a way for teams to ramp back up before the playoffs begin, Windhorst adds.

We have more developments related to the league’s hiatus:

Pelicans owner Gayle Benson has pledged to give $1MM to various causes, including financial assistance to arena workers displaced by the coronavirus-related stoppage, according to a team press release. The Gayle Benson Community Assistance Fund will also provide assistance to the general New Orleans community. Numerous players and teams have reached out to help their arena workers.
LeBron James‘ pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s potentially historic follow-up to his MVP season are among the storylines that won’t be played out if the season is canceled, Michael Lee of The Athletic notes. The Pelicans’ pursuit of the Grizzlies for the Western Conference’s final playoff berth, with the added intrigue of those teams being led by top rookies Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, would also fall by the wayside.
The hiatus could have a silver lining for the Clippers, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk points out. The prime title contender will have a chance to get fully healthy heading into the postseason, as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will have an extended time to rest, while Lou Williams (calf) and Patrick Beverley (groin) can recover from their ailments. The article breaks down what the hiatus means for each Western Conference club.

Latest Notes On Coronavirus Situation

March 10th, 2020 at 6:59pm CST by Luke Adams

After initially declaring that he wouldn’t play in empty arenas if the NBA is forced to take extreme measures due to coronavirus concerns, Lakers star LeBron James walked back that stance in comments to reporters today. As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays, James said he “had no idea that there was actually a conversation going behind closed doors” about extreme coronavirus precautions when he made his comments last week.

“Obviously, I would be very disappointed not having the fans, because that is what I play for — I play for my family, I play for my fans,” James said. “… But at the same time, you got to listen to the people that’s keeping a track on what’s going on. If they feel like it’s best for the safety of the players, the safety of the franchise, the safety of the league to mandate that, then we all listen to it.”

Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari, whose home country of Italy is among those hit hardest by the international coronavirus outbreak said today that he’d be on board with playing behind closed doors if the situation worsens, writes ESPN’s Royce Young.

“I am in favor, because I see everything that’s been going on in Europe, not just in Italy,” Gallinari said. “In all of Europe, they stopped every game, they stopped every competition, in between countries, too, so it’s not just Italy. The steps they did were playing normal games, then games without fans and now they’re not playing. Hopefully we don’t get to that point where we don’t play games anymore, but maybe as a step forward to play some games with no fans.”

As the NBA continues to weigh next steps, here are a few more notes related to the league’s coronavirus response:

At an event on Monday night, Heat president Pat Riley expressed skepticism that the situation will get to a point where the league plays games without fans, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Until the league says something or something else happens, I doubt that that’s going to happen,” Riley said.
One high-ranking team executive who spoke to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post took the opposing view: “I think there’s a good chance we will be forced to play games in empty arenas at some point. The virus is spreading quickly, it’s not contained, and it will not be contained any time soon. The threat (to NBA players and fans) could carry on into next season.”
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced today (via Twitter) that the state is asking for no indoor events with spectators to be held. The Cavaliers would be affected by a stronger edict from the state government, but for now the team figures to defer to the NBA on any major decisions. The Cavs also don’t have a home game until March 24.
The NCAA issued a statement today announcing that it “continues to assess” how the coronavirus outbreak will impact this month’s tournaments. A decision is expected in the coming days.