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World Cup Notes: Joseph, Spain, Teodosic, Rankings

August 21st, 2019 at 11:16am CST by Dana Gauruder

Is guard Cory Joseph in or out of the FIBA World Cup for Team Canada? Joseph, the most prominent NBA member remaining on the depleted Team Canada roster, was withdrawing from the competition, according to a tweet from Toronto Star reporter Doug Smith. However, Team Canada coach Nick Nurse said that report was incorrect and that Joseph would indeed join the team in China, John Casey of 7Olympics tweets.

Joseph is not currently with the team during exhibition games in Australia and Sportsnet Canada’s Michael Grange notes that Joseph would have to leave for China soon, given that the tournament begins in 10 days and he needs to adjust to the 12-hour time difference (Twitter link).

We have more World Cup news:

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World Cup Notes: Popovich, Nurse, Serbia

August 10th, 2019 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anyone who has watched the Spurs frequently will see plenty of similarities in this year’s version of Team USA, writes Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. Head coach Gregg Popovich has incorporated his system into the international squad that will be competing for gold at the FIBA World Cup tournament.

With so many elite players declining invitations to training camp, Popovich has far less star power than his predecessor, Mike Krzyzewski. It’s a situation familiar to San Antonio since the decline of the Tim Duncan–Tony Parker–Manu Ginobili era.

“We’ll up our assist total even more than what you saw tonight as we become more familiar with each other and feel more comfortable with the system,” Popovich said after Friday’s first public scrimmage. “(On defense), there’s been absolutely no problem with the effort and the physicality. It’s just a matter of getting wiser and more habitual.”

There’s more World Cup news to pass along:

  • The chance to play for Popovich was among the perks for the players who decided to participate, relays Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. Few of them have ever worked with Popovich, who is regarded as one of the best coaches in NBA history. “He’s my favorite coach of all time,” Kyle Kuzma said. “Growing up, I was a hoops junkie, watching a lot of the Spurs teams and he’s won at every level he’s been at. So, to be here and learn, to be around him, it’s really great.” Several others agreed, with Brook Lopez saying, “It’s always been a dream” and Jaylen Brown adding, “Playing for Gregg Popovich, I’ll do that any day of the week.”
  • Fresh off winning a title in his first year as an NBA head coach, Nick Nurse is now trying to capture a medal for Canada, notes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The Canadians have a busy exhibition schedule before World Cup play begins. “I don’t know how to explain this. It’s more like what these games do is, they present a lot of teaching moments,” Nurse said. “Like when you see an opponent, now you’re seeing something you haven’t even covered yet, so you’ve got a chance to teach it and grow your schemes and your defensive package.”
  • Serbian coach Sasha Djordjevic doesn’t consider Team USA the favorites in this year’s tournament, according to a EuroHoops story. Serbia’s roster includes All-Star center Nikola Jokic, along with several other names familiar to NBA fans such as Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nemanja Bjelica, Miroslav Raduljica, Boban Marjanovic and Milos Teodosic. “Let’s let them (Team USA) play their basketball and we will play ours and if we meet, may God help them,” Djordjevic said.
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Team Canada Dealing With Depleted Roster

August 5th, 2019 at 8:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Much has been made of the withdrawals from Team USA by prominent players as it prepares for the FIBA World Cup in China this summer. Team Canada has experienced similar issues.

Canada Basketball unveiled its training camp roster in a press release and many notable names are missing. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dillon Brooks, Brandon Clarke, Luguentz Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mfiondu Kabengele, Naz Mitrou-Long, Trey Lyles, Dwight Powell, Marial Shayok, Nik Stauskas, and Tristan Thompson were among the invitees who opted not to participate.

Knicks lottery pick RJ Barrett and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray are on the roster but will only participate in training camp. Barrett is dealing with a mild calf strain, while Murray is nursing an ankle injury, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets.

Among the NBA players who are on the roster and intend to participate in the tournament are Kings guard Cory Joseph, Heat forward Kelly Olynyk, Magic center Khem Birch and Raptors big man Chris Boucher. Toronto’s Nick Nurse is the head coach of the team, which will play seven exhibition games before its FIBA opener against Australia on September 1.

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Nick Nurse Officially Named Team Canada’s Head Coach

June 24th, 2019 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

Fresh off an NBA championship in his first season with the Raptors, Nick Nurse has lined up another head coaching gig. According to a press release, Nurse has officially been named the head coach of Team Canada ahead of the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

While Nurse’s appointment as the coach of the Canadian men’s basketball program wasn’t officially finalized until today, a report back in May indicated that he would be the choice. His commitment will run through the 2020 Olympics, Team Canada announced today (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca).

“Nick fits our Gold Medal Profile as he is a proven leader with extensive experience coaching FIBA, NBA and other professional leagues around the world,” Team Canada GM Rowan Barrett said in a statement. “His coaching pedigree shows his ability to win at some of the highest levels and he has a tremendous understanding of the FIBA game and our Canadian NBA players. We strongly believe that this unique combination gives our players the best opportunity for success at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.”

It remains to be seen which players will be representing Canada at the 2019 World Cup — or at the 2020 Olympics, should the team qualify. With Nurse leading the way, perhaps a few more NBA players will be interested in participating.

Jamal Murray, Andrew Wiggins, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, Kelly Olynyk, Dillon Brooks, Dwight Powell, and Khem Birch are among the NBA veterans who are Canadian.

A handful of incoming rookies could also receive consideration for the World Cup roster, as R.J. Barrett, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Brandon Clarke were among the six Canadians drafted last Thursday.

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Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Draft, Anunoby

June 17th, 2019 at 5:33pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers want to select someone in the mold of Landry Shamet with the No. 24 overall pick.

“[Shamet has] always been an overcomer and mature and very very self-aware,” senior director of scouting Vince Rozman said (via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “…I think those are the guys that tend to make it in that range, because they know their role and they know what’s going to be asked of them.”

Pompey suggests that Cameron Johnson fits the profile and speculates that the UNC product may slip in the draft because of his age. Johnson turned 23 in March.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

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Raptors Notes: Nurse, Leonard, Anunoby

May 26th, 2019 at 2:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Fresh off his team’s Game 6 victory over the Bucks which sent Toronto to the Finals, Raptors coach Nick Nurse has apparently achieved another honor. He will coach Canada’s national team at the FIBA World Cup in China, Peter Yannopoulos of TSN tweets.

Canada Basketball, which hasn’t officially confirmed the coaching change, began courting Nurse prior to the postseason, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.

Nurse, who was an assistant for Team Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics, would replace Hornets assistant Jay Triano as Canada’s coach, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets.

We have more on the newly crowned Eastern Conference champions:

  • Toronto president Masai Ujiri had a strong response for Kawhi Leonard during their first meeting after the blockbuster trade with San Antonio last season, as Michael Lee of The Athletic details. Leonard asked Ujiri why he made the trade despite Leonard’s intention to opt out of his contract after the season. “Because you’re the best player in the league,” Ujiri told Leonard. That bold gamble has paid off, Lee notes.
  • The Raptors are optimistic that OG Anunoby will play at some point in the Finals, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun tweets. Anunoby has not played since an emergency appendectomy last month. The last appearance by the reserve small forward was April 9th. The gaps in-between games should also help Leonard, who is dealing with a leg injury, Wolstat adds.
  • Nurse’s G League success — he won championships with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Iowa Energy — prepared him well for the Raptors gig, Adam Johnson of 2Ways10Days.com details in a story originally posted prior to the season.
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Atlantic Notes: Knicks, King, Hernandez, Raptors

May 19th, 2019 at 7:01pm CST by JD Shaw

Knicks president Steve Mills broke his silence last week but declined to address whether the team will look to trade its lottery pick in a deal for disgruntled New Orleans star Anthony Davis, as relayed by Marc Berman of the New York Post.

The Knicks were awarded the No. 3 pick from the NBA’s Draft Lottery, something many fans saw as a bitter disappointment. The fans of New York, Mills says, should still be excited about where the team is positioned entering this summer.

“We’re excited about where we are,’’ Mills said Friday at the NBA draft combine, according to Berman. “We know we’ll get a good player at 3. So it’s something we’re excited about and look forward to.’’

With the Pelicans locked into Zion Williamson and Grizzlies reportedly focused on Ja Morant, the leading candidate for the Knicks could be Duke standout R.J. Barrett. In addition to the third pick, New York is starting to prepare for a pivotal free agency period — one that could shape the team’s future for better or worse.

“We want to build this team the right way,’’ Mills said. “We’ve always said we’re going to continue to work hard during the draft process. We believe we’re a team that can draft well and this is all part of our plan and growing our team.’’

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

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Raptors Notes: Lowry, Leonard, Small Lineup, Nurse

May 5th, 2019 at 10:15am CST by Arthur Hill

Kyle Lowry is facing a critical point not only in the Raptors‘ current playoff series, but maybe in his future in Toronto, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. A loss in the conference semifinals would likely lead to major changes for the organization, which could include moving on from Lowry, who will make $33.5MM next season in the final year of his contract.

The Raptors need more offense from Lowry, who made just two shots from the field and finished with seven points in a Game 3 loss. With Pascal Siakam listed as doubtful for today because of a calf contusion, Toronto will need someone to provide extra scoring punch.

“I passed up a lot of shots (in Game 3), and (I need to focus on) not anything but trying to make the next play, and the right play is me shooting sometimes,” Lowry said. “And overthinking that is trying to get everybody involved or get an easier shot or get someone else going. It’s kind of been one of the things where I shouldn’t have done (that) as much. But I’ve done it, but next game, and for the games going on, I’ve got to be a little bit more assertive.”

There’s more this morning from Toronto:

  • Toronto may be at a crossroads regarding its future, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. A loss today would put the Raptors in a 3-1 hole, making it unlikely that they’ll win the series, which in turn makes it harder to imagine that Kawhi Leonard will stay in Toronto, Ziller notes. Leonard is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract this summer and is rumored to want to play in Los Angeles. Siakam looks like a future star, but if Leonard leaves, the Raptors will be left with an aging core of Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka.
  • The Raptors may move away from their smaller lineups after being dominated inside in Game 3, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. That means the trio of Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell may not take the floor together in today’s game, which could result in more minutes for Leonard and Patrick McCaw. “Obviously you look at — jeez, they just look bigger, and the size problem, and with Kyle-Fred-Norm out there we get a little small, right?” coach Nick Nurse said. “But there’s some things we can do with the rotations. We’ll take a look at that, but we can get bigger out there.”
  • Max Whittle of Sky Sports examines Nurse’s journey from the British Basketball League to the NBA playoffs.
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Atlantic Notes: Butler, Raptors, Ntilikina

January 30th, 2019 at 6:28pm CST by Austin Kent

The Sixers may look to put the ball in Jimmy Butler‘s hands more often after his recent return from injury, Brian Seltzer of the team’s official site writes. Previously, head coach Brett Brown had used the All-Star swingman off the ball.

“I liked what I saw,” said Brown following the Sixers’ Tuesday night victory, a game in which Butler had a plus-26 rating. “We didn’t really run complicated offense. It was quite simple and spaced, and I thought he did a really good job with that.”

The Sixers, of course, have done just fine with Butler in his traditional swingman role – they’re 33-18 after all – but with the playoffs approaching and this roster intent on making a deep run, Brown believes that exploring additional offensive options will serve them well.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division tonight:

  • Through the first 51 games of the 2018/19 season, the Raptors have used 14 different starting lineups, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. After all that tinkering, head coach Nick Nurse is eager to carve out a rotation that he can stick with. “It would be really nice to figure out exactly who is going to be in there. How we’re going to do it. Who is going to play where, minutes, all that kind of stuff,” Nurse said.
  • The Celtics, whom Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald believes have the best to offer in an Anthony Davis trade, should come out ahead regardless of what happens in New Orleans this week. He argues that Boston will either be first in line to trade for him in the summer or be able to watch another team decimate its core to acquire him ahead of the trade deadline. The C’s, it’s worth noting, are unable to deal for Davis this season as the CBA’s Rose Rule forbids it.
  • A groin strain will sideline Frank Ntilikina at a time when the Knicks could have finally gotten a chance to take a good, long look at him, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Incumbent starter Emmanuel Mudiay also happens to be out two to three weeks with his own injury.
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Atlantic Notes: Powell, Sixers, Nurse, Nets

December 20th, 2018 at 10:54pm CST by JD Shaw

Raptors guard Norman Powell made his return Wednesday after missing six weeks with a separated shoulder, seeing 14 minutes of action and working hard to regain his usual game shape. His return gave a much-needed boost of energy to a team already dealing with injuries to Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and others.

“Yeah, (Powell) just was really doing a good job of fulfilling a role, playing hard on (defense), taking the open situations on offense, not forcing the issue as much (as he has in the past),” coach Nick Nurse said postgame, according to Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun.

“It’s what we need him to do, especially now coming off the injury. He just needs to kind of play hard and settle in on the offensive end.”

Powell gave a solid effort in his first 12 games this season, with the 25-year-old suffering his shoulder injury on Nov. 5. Powell has averaged 4.8 points per game this season, shooting 46% from the field and 38% from behind the arc.

His return gives Toronto another backcourt option behind Lowry and Danny Green when healthy, with Fred VanVleet and C.J. Miles earning more playing time in his absence.

Here are some other notes from the Atlantic Division tonight:

  • Locating trades to improve a struggling bench could be difficult for the Sixers, Rich Hofmann of The Athletic writes. Philly sports a dominant core three of Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid in their starting five, but the team’s bench has mostly struggled this season. The Sixers currently hold a 21-12 record and could look to deal second-year guard Markelle Fultz as the Feb. 7 trade deadline nears.
  • Raptors head coach Nick Nurse was fined $15K by the NBA on Wednesday for public criticism of the officiating, the league announced in a press release. Nurse’s comments came after Toronto’s 95-86 loss to the Nuggets on Sunday. “It’s ridiculous,” Nurse said at the time, upset that Kawhi Leonard wasn’t getting more calls on drives to the rim. “The guy is one of the best players in the league. He doesn’t complain. They just turn their head and go the other way, and it’s been going on all year.”
  • Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports compares the Nets to the hungry, inexperienced Lakers team before LeBron James joined the franchise, describing the similarities between the two in detail. Brooklyn, recovering from several underwhelming seasons, has won seven straight games around their young core as they await a potential future star free agent.
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