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Pacers Notes: Bjorkgren, McDermott, Turner, Draft

May 21st, 2021 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

Following a Thursday loss in the East’s final 2021 play-in game, the Pacers‘ season is over, raising questions about the future of head coach Nate Bjorkgren. Although he was just hired last fall, Bjorkgren is said to be very much on the hot seat after a tumultuous, disappointing season in Indiana. For his part, the first-year coach was evasive on Thursday when asked whether he expects to be back.

“My focus is on the players right now,” Bjorkgren said, per J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). “I’m not thinking about myself. I’m really not. I just want to do what’s best for these guys.”

It’s decision time for the Pacers, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, who advises not to be surprised if the club takes a little time to make a call on Bjorkgren’s status, one way or the other.

Bob Kravitz of The Athletic suggests that Bjorkgren probably took a banged-up Pacers team about as far could be realistically expected, but if he’s to return for the 2021/22, there must be changes — “both with Bjorkgren himself and with his coaching staff,” Kravitz writes.

As we wait on the Pacers’ decision, let’s round up a few more notes out of Indiana…

While it’s possible that Bjorkgren was the problem for the Pacers, Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star isn’t entirely convinced of that, and writes an offseason roster shakeup might not be the worst idea for the organization.
Most of the Pacers’ key rotation players are under contract for next season, but Doug McDermott is one important contributor who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. McDermott addressed his situation after Thursday’s game, as J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star relays (via Twitter): “I want to be a Pacer. It’s been a great three years. It’s been a great place to call home. I hope I can continue that.”
Although Myles Turner‘s toe injury didn’t heal in time for him to rejoin the Pacers before they were eliminated from postseason contention, he’s hoping to be healthy enough to compete for a spot on Team USA’s Olympic roster this summer, he tells Sean Deveney of Forbes.
As we outlined earlier today, the Pacers are now in line for the 13th pick in the 2021 draft, as long as their position isn’t affected by the lottery results. Nat Newell of The Indianapolis Star, noting that Indiana’s two most recent lottery picks were Turner and Paul George, examines the recent history of the No. 13 pick to get an idea of what sort of player the team could realistically land.

Eastern Notes: Irving, Holiday, Turner, Hornets, Howard

May 16th, 2021 at 9:20pm CST by Luke Adams

As Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) details, Nets guard Kyrie Irving met the criteria for four of the eight bonuses in his contract this year, earning a total of $525K in incentives ($131,250 apiece). Three of those bonuses were considered unlikely entering the season but will now be considered likely for 2021/22, bumping Irving’s cap hit for next year to approximately $35.46MM.

Another standout Eastern Conference guard, Jrue Holiday earned a third $255K bonus this week for appearing in at least 59 games averaging more than 3.15 rebounds, Marks notes. Having already earned $765K in incentives, Holiday could further increase that number if he’s named to an All-Defensive team ($100K), if the Bucks come out of the East ($200K), and/or if Milwaukee wins the title ($1MM).

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Pacers center Myles Turner, who has appeared in just one game since April 6, is still dealing with turf toe and won’t be available for the team’s play-in game on Tuesday, tweets J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. “I don’t think so,” head coach Nate Bjorkgren said on Sunday. “I wouldn’t expect Myles the next game.”
The Hornets will increase the capacity of the Spectrum Center to 60% (about 12,000 fans) for the postseason, the team announced in a press release. The Hornets previously had a 25% capacity for home games, but North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has lifted gathering restrictions in the state.
Sixers center Dwight Howard served a one-game suspension on Friday for having accumulated 16 technical fouls this year. However, Howard will get a fresh slate for the postseason, where he’d have to rack up seven more technicals before earning an automatic suspension.

Central Notes: White, Varejao, Turner, Holiday

May 14th, 2021 at 10:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls still may target a point guard in free agency this summer, but Coby White is showing indications that he can handle the job, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. While it has taken a while for White to adjust to the NBA, the 21-year-old is making progress at the end of his second season. He had 17 points and 10 assists Thursday night, marking his first game with double-digit assists since January 10.

White has returned to the starting lineup after Tomas Satoransky took over as the starting point guard for 15 games. Coach Billy Donovan believes White has benefited from playing alongside center Nikola Vucevic, who was acquired at the trade deadline, and a slower pace has also worked to White’s advantage.

“I’ve always had perseverance,” White said. “But this year, with ups and downs and being pushed constantly, from the coaching staff to front office to my teammates, I think for me learning to play the point guard position at a high level in the NBA, which is continuing to stay focused and continuing to stay within yourself.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers have received a hardship exception continuation to sign Anderson Varejao for the rest of the season, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Varejao’s first 10-day day contract has expired, but he has re-signed for the season’s final three days. This was Cleveland’s plan from the time Varejao was added to the roster, Fedor adds.
Even though he’s a long shot for the award, Pacers center Myles Turner stated his case for Defensive Player of the Year honors Thursday night, according to J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. Turner leads the league with 3.4 blocked shots per game, but he has missed 23 games due to injury and has no timetable to return. “I understand defense isn’t all about blocks,” Turner said. “That’s something I do best. After this season I’m going to lead the league in blocks in two out of the last three years. I defend the perimeter. I’m one of the better pick-and-roll defenders in the league. My team needs me out there. When I’m not out there, the difference is glaring.”
Bucks guard Jrue Holiday earned a $255K bonus by playing in his 58th game of the season Thursday night, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Holiday secured another bonus earlier this week for total minutes played.

Central Notes: LaVine, Sexton, Pacers Defense, Green

May 4th, 2021 at 5:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine has cleared the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and could be back on the floor as early as Thursday against the Hornets, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago.

“I think he’s excited to be back playing,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said of the All-Star guard. “I think for him getting in the gym [upon being cleared] was good.”

LaVine’s return may prove to be too little, too late for the struggling Bulls. Chicago has gone 4-7 without him. Sporting a 26-39 record, the Bulls are currently 4.5 games behind the ninth-seeded Pacers, four games behind the tenth-seeded Wizards and a half-game back of the No. 11-seeded Raptors. The team has eight contests left to play.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton is aware of critical chirps from his detractors, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Fedor notes that Sexton wants to address his critics with his play. “They feel like I’m not doing good at something, I’m going to make sure I prove them wrong,” Sexton said. “They say I can’t be a point guard. Now these next stretch of games I’m going to go out there and show them I can do both — run the team and score the ball as well, and be efficient with it. I pretty much just take the criticism and run with it, and just have them look crazy down the stretch.”
The defensively-challenged Pacers are certainly missing their anchor on that end of the floor, injured center Myles Turner, but also the tactical maneuvering of former head coach Nate McMillan and assistant coach Dan Burke, opines Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star.
Recently-acquired Bulls wing Javonte Green showed flashes of promise in what was ultimately a 106-94 losing effort against the Sixers on Monday. Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic wonders if Green could be a potential long-term rotational addition for Chicago.

Pacers’ Pritchard Talks Holiday, McMillan, Small Market, More

April 29th, 2021 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

It’s fair to say the Pacers have underachieved relative to expectations this season. After going 45-28 and finishing fourth in the East a year ago, the team is currently just 29-32 and will likely have to win one – if not two – play-in games to earn a postseason berth next month.

Still, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard isn’t disappointed with his team’s play, telling Bob Kravitz of The Athletic that it’s hard to properly evaluate the roster, given the outsized impact the coronavirus has had on the season, as well as all the injuries Indiana has endured.

“This season has been unlike any I’ve been a part of, and it’s proven to be challenging on many fronts. I’ve got a lot of scar tissue from this season; we all do,” Pritchard said. “In some ways, it’s been less about basketball than a lot of other things. But look at it, we’re a few games within fourth, and to go through what we’ve gone through as far as injuries, I want to see how this one plays out. We could have shut it down, but we’re playing hard; we’re just severely undermanned right now.

“We’re not that far away,” Pritchard added, “but because of all these injuries now, it feels like we’re miles away.”

T.J. Warren has been sidelined for nearly the entire season, while Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, and Caris LeVert are among the others who have missed time due to injuries.

As a result, Pritchard tells Kravitz that he still isn’t sure whether the roster will require a major overhaul or just a few tweaks this offseason. He’s also not ready to draw any conclusions about the long-term viability of the Turner/Sabonis frontcourt pairing.

“I’d like to answer that after the playoffs because that’s when it really counts,” Pritchard said of the two centers. “Hopefully, Myles will be back in time.”

Here are a few more highlights from Kravitz’s Q&A with the Pacers’ president, which covers plenty of ground and is worth checking out in full if you’re an Athletic subscriber:

On Aaron Holiday‘s down year:

“We still believe in Aaron. Sometimes in a year, for whatever reason, you prepare but you have some guys playing very well at his position. I know (head coach) Nate (Bjorkgren) wants to reward the guys who played well this year, and Aaron simply hasn’t played as well. We’ll need him at some point in time, believe me. Players who stay prepared almost invariably get another shot, and he’ll get another shot, but he’ll have to hit shots and play within our system.”

On whether there are any regrets about firing Nate McMillan, who is thriving in Atlanta:

“Look, Nate is a great friend; we worked together for more than a decade. I want him to do well. He’s got a really good team, good chemistry, and they’re going to be a tough team in the playoffs. But no animosity and no regret at all. This is a transitory business. If we were dismayed by people leaving us and having success elsewhere, what would that say about us? I’m happy for Nate, just the way I’m happy for Frank Vogel.”

On Paul George and Victor Oladipo both pushing their way out of Indiana, and whether there’s concern about a perception that stars don’t want to play for the Pacers:

“I think they’re all independent situations, first of all. We obsess with making this a great place for players. … Great training facility, the best doctors in the world. And look, Malcolm (Brogdon) chose us, the Rookie of the Year chose us, and he’s had a great experience.

“We get it; we’re not for everybody. We don’t have the beach and the big city, but it’s a great place to play basketball in front of people who truly appreciate when you play the right way. Great fans, educated fans, great facilities, and I always say this now: Players get marketed all around the world. Social media could be the great equalizer. You can be in a smaller market and still have a national profile.”

On how to deal with the challenge of being a small-market team:

“We’ve done some things well and haven’t done some things well, but for us, it almost feels like you have to play a perfect game to be hyper-competitive. There are teams who can make personnel mistakes; we really can’t. Our biggest source of players is trades, and that’s really tough. Trades are challenging. I feel good about the ones we’ve made, and we have to draft better, and we will, but I still have a ton of confidence in our scouting staff. It’s just, yes, it’s a major challenge given the fact that the bifurcation of the top teams seems to be getting greater in comparison with the mid- and small-market teams. That’s something we’re always going to have to deal with.”

Central Notes: Osman, Holiday, Pacers, Pistons Rookies

April 26th, 2021 at 5:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cedi Osman has temporarily regained a rotation spot, giving the Cavaliers forward another shot to prove his value before the season ends, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. Due to injuries, Osman made his first start since March 26 and his first appearance since April 14 on Sunday. Osman, whose front-loaded contract lasts through the 2023/24 season, had 19 points and five assists in 37 minutes.

“It was a lot of him putting the time in and working on his own game,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I think he had some struggles early on, but I believe that Cedi is a good basketball player. And when given the opportunity, when playing with confidence and playing assertive, he can have an impact on the game.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Jrue Holiday is the biggest reason why the Bucks are a different team than last season, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, and Nehm breaks down some of Holiday’s plays over the weekend to demonstrate his impact. Holiday signed a four-year extension worth up to $160MM earlier this month.
The Pacers have played well using small-ball lineups with Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner sidelined by injuries and that should help them in the postseason, according to J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star. “It makes us a better team because guys get time on the floor, which means, come playoff time, if those guys play they’ll be ready,” Justin Holiday said. “Whatever happens I think we’re going to be ready for it.”
Pistons rookies Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart are all receiving rotation minutes, prompting Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois to review past drafts to see how other teams with three or more first-rounders in the same year fared with their selections — so far, Detroit stacks up favorably to those clubs.

Central Notes: Bickerstaff, Brissett, Turner, Stewart

April 21st, 2021 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff will miss Wednesday’s game against Chicago due to personal reasons, the team tweets. Assistant Greg Buckner will fill in for Bickerstaff, who is expected to return for the team’s road game against Charlotte on Friday. Cleveland remains on the fringe of the playoff race despite a damaging loss to Detroit on Monday.

We have more from the Central Division:

Oshae Brissett‘s three-year contract with the Pacers is not guaranteed for the final two seasons, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. Brissett was signed to a standard contract Wednesday after a pair of 10-day deals expired. The former Raptor has averaged 4.8 PPG on .688/.571/.750 shooting in six games (8.2 MPG) with Indiana.
Myles Turner’s toe injury could keep the Pacers big man out of action for six months. Dr. Jan Szatkowski, an orthopedic foot and ankle trauma doctor at Indiana University, told the Indianapolis Star’s Michael McCleary that his injury normally requires surgery and a six-month recovery period. However, it’s worth noting that Szatkowski hasn’t personally examined Turner, who has been ruled out indefinitely due to a partial tear of the plantar plate in the big toe of his right foot.
The Pistons acquired the No. 16 pick of last year’s draft from Houston to select one-and-done center Isaiah Stewart. Coach Dwane Casey said GM Troy Weaver was determined to get the high-energy big man, who has averaged 17.3 PPG and 16.3 RPG in his last three games, on the team. “He’s one guy I remember Troy talking about when he first got here, about how important this kid was,” Casey told Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois. “He was as high on this young man as anybody and he’s been spot on with him.”

Myles Turner Out Indefinitely With Partial Toe Tear

April 19th, 2021 at 5:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pacers starting center Myles Turner will be out indefinitely after partially tearing the plantar plate in the great toe of his right foot, per a team announcement.

An MRI today shed light on the injury. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets that, before returning to the court yesterday, Turner had sat for the prior six games as he struggled with a left ankle sprain. Agness notes that this toe setback appears unrelated.

The 6’11” Turner, still just 24, had been enjoying a solid run with the Pacers for the 2020/21 season. Across 47 games, he’s averaging 12.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, an unreal 3.4 BPG, and 0.9 SPG. He boasts a shooting line of .477/.335/.782.

Losing their defensive anchor for any extended period of time is a major blow for the Pacers as they continue to fight for a play-in appearance. The team is currently the No. 9 seed in the East. At 26-30, the Pacers are currently two games behind the eighth-seeded Hornets, a team saddled with a litany of its own major injuries, and three games ahead of the tenth-seeded Raptors.

With Turner absent, the team will lean on the kinds of small-ball lineups it employed during Turner’s prior injury, with All-Star Domantas Sabonis moving to center and 6’4″ forward Edmond Sumner once again being promoted from the bench to fill out the starting front court alongside 6’6″ forward Justin Holiday. Goga Bitadze and Oshae Brissett could see bigger roles for themselves in the front court rotation this season.

“Pain is temporary,” Turner said of his recovery in a Twitter message. “[I’m going to] attack this rehab and we right back to it!”

Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com tweets that current Nets power forward Blake Griffin‘s 2016/17 playoff run with the Clippers came to an abrupt end when he incurred a similar ailment, eventually requiring corrective surgery.

Holmes, Drummond Among Hornets’ Potential Offseason Targets

March 30th, 2021 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets sought to upgrade their center at last week’s trade deadline, expressing interest in a number of big men on the trade market, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

As Fischer details, Charlotte was eyeing Andre Drummond, but couldn’t reach an agreement with the Cavaliers on a viable trade, then lost out to the Lakers on the buyout market. In addition to Drummond, the Hornets also expressed interest in veteran centers such as Myles Turner, Montrezl Harrell, and Richaun Holmes, sources tell Fischer.

A previous report indicated that the Pacers and Hornets discussed a trade involving Turner and P.J. Washington during the 2020 offseason, and Fischer says Charlotte revisited those talks at last week’s deadline, exploring a deal centered around Turner, Washington, and Cody Zeller‘s expiring contract. However, the team had no luck.

Having not addressed the center position via trade, the Hornets figure to be on the lookout for a big man this summer when Zeller’s and Bismack Biyombo‘s contracts expire, and Fischer identifies Holmes and Drummond as two players likely to be on Charlotte’s radar. Both players will be unrestricted free agents after the season.

Holmes is under contract at a bargain price ($5MM) for the rest of 2020/21, but could seek upwards of $20MM per year in free agency, according to Fischer. Meanwhile, league executives polled by Bleacher Report estimate that Drummond’s next deal could look something like Steven Adams‘ two-year, $35MM extension with New Orleans. The Hornets talked to Drummond following his buyout from Cleveland, and the 27-year-old was intrigued by the idea of playing with LaMelo Ball, says Fischer.

Charlotte has the ability to open up some cap room this offseason, though that space would be extremely limited if the team extends Malik Monk a qualifying offer and keeps his $16MM+ cap hold on its books. Monk is in the midst of a career year, but his name was involved in the trade conversations the Hornets had for Harrell and Holmes, per Fischer.

If it’s the simplest path to creating the room necessary to sign one of this summer’s top free agent centers, the Hornets could be willing to make Monk unrestricted. Re-signing him to a deal worth less than his cap hold would be another path to generating a little flexibility.

Eastern Notes: Irving, Smart, Nance Jr., Turner

March 28th, 2021 at 5:59pm CST by JD Shaw

Nets star Kyrie Irving is set to return on Monday following a three-game absence, Malika Andrews of ESPN tweets. Irving had been dealing with a family matter.

Brooklyn will face the league-worst Timberwolves (11-35) at home in the outing. The losses of Irving and Kevin Durant (hamstring) have caused James Harden to see an increased workload, with the former MVP most recently recording 44 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in a win over Detroit.

The Nets started veteran forward Jeff Green in Irving’s absence, playing him alongside Harden, Bruce Brown, Joe Harris and DeAndre Jordan. The team is 8-2 in its last 10 games.

Here are some other notes out of the Eastern Conference:

Celtics guard Marcus Smart was prepared for anything on trade deadline day last week, as relayed by A. Sherrod Blakely of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The team ultimately chose to keep Smart and trade for veteran Evan Fournier. “Anytime you hear your name in trade talk, you prepare for the worst and pray for the best,” Smart said. “It’s nothing new. It’s a business. But you’re human. I wasn’t concerned but I was prepared.”
Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. is continuing to support the franchise’s decision to reject trade proposals involving him, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. Nance finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the team’s 100-98 loss to Sacramento on Saturday. “We know what Larry is going to do. We know what he’s going to bring. He does a lot for us,” teammate Collin Sexton said. “Larry passes the ball, he rebounds, blocks shots, dunks. Larry does it all. Whenever you look at the stat sheet you always see him playing a full, complete game, touching everything. That’s Larry Nance. We can count on him anytime it’s time to put that jersey on.”
The Pacers are pushing for Myles Turner to receive recognition for his impressive defense this season, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star writes. “I think that’s what people don’t talk about with our team is Myles and his impact. His impact is astronomical,” Malcolm Brogdon said of Turner. “He’s the reason our defense is so good. His ability to block shots, it deters people from even driving to the rim so he’s Defensive Player of the Year.” Turner is averaging 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and a career-high 3.5 blocks per game this season.