- Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (ankle sprain) didn’t practice again today, as Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets. However, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca doesn’t necessarily view that as a bad sign, tweeting that there would be no sense running Lowry through a full practice even if he’s feeling good and plans to play on Thursday. Lowry’s status for Game 1 against Boston remains up in the air.
The National Basketball Players Association executive committee has been in communication with players to discuss the logistics of potentially boycotting games, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
According to Haynes, those discussions have been spearheaded by players who are “emotionally traumatized” by the video of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, being shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Players began reaching out to the NBPA’s executive committee this week to say they’re not in the right frame of mind to play basketball, sources tell Haynes.
Haynes reports that an assembly of players met at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort on Tuesday night to discuss the situation, with Chris Paul and Andre Iguodala among the NBPA leaders who were in attendance.
Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link) separately reported that Raptors and Celtics players met at their hotel on Tuesday night to discuss the possibility of boycotting Game 1 of their series on Thursday — presumably, that was the same meeting cited by Haynes. The two teams are expected to meet again tonight, a source tells Spears (Twitter link).
The NBPA has been educating players on the pros and cons of a boycott and letting those players know they’ll support them whatever they decide to do, writes Haynes. The feeling after last night’s meeting is that a majority of Raptors and Celtics players want to play Game 1 on Thursday, tweets Spears.
Bringing attention to social justice issues and systemic racism was among players’ primary goals when they agreed to the NBA’s restart plan this summer. However, in the wake of the latest shooting of a Black man by police, a number of players feel as if their efforts to raise awareness and enact change have been overshadowed by on-court results — Bucks guard George Hill argued earlier this week that resuming the season took the focus off of “what the issues are.”
The Raptors, Celtics, and other players around the NBA are discussing what other measures could be taken to address the situation and to “thwart police brutality toward people of color,” according to Haynes. At this point, a boycott may not be the likeliest outcome, but Raptors guard Fred VanVleet explained the thinking behind the idea on Tuesday, as Malika Andrews and Tim Bontemps of ESPN relayed.
“We knew coming here or not coming here was not going to stop anything, but I think ultimately playing or not playing puts pressure on somebody,” VanVleet said. “So, for example, this happened in Kenosha, Wisconsin, if I’m correct? Would it be nice if, in a perfect world, we all say we’re not playing, and the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks — that’s going to trickle down. If he steps up to the plate and puts pressure on the district attorney’s office, and state’s attorney, and governors, and politicians there to make real change and get some justice.
“I know it’s not that simple. But, at the end of the day, if we’re gonna sit here and talk about making change, then at some point we’re gonna have to put our nuts on the line and actually put something up to lose, rather than just money or visibility.”
- Raptors guard Kyle Lowry didn’t participate in practice on Tuesday and is considered day-to-day for the time being, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, who tweets that Lowry’s status for Game 1 vs. Boston on Thursday remains uncertain.
The Pistons, Knicks, and Suns are among the teams expected to emerge as suitors for Fred VanVleet once the Raptors guard reaches unrestricted free agency this offseason, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.
VanVleet projects to be one of the top free agents on the market when the 2020/21 league year begins. The 26-year-old is coming off a career year in which he averaged 17.6 PPG, 6.6 APG, and 3.8 RPG on .413/.390/.848 shooting in 54 contests and is off to a hot start in the postseason, with 21.3 PPG, 7.8 APG, and 4.0 RPG on .527/.559/.800 shooting in four games against Brooklyn.
Only a handful of teams project to have cap room available this offseason, so the Raptors are in a good position to re-sign VanVleet. However, a team like the Pistons or Knicks could certainly make things interesting — and make signing VanVleet a more costly endeavor. Neither club has a long-term answer at the point and both will have cap space at their disposal this fall. VanVleet also played for current Pistons head coach Dwane Casey in Toronto.
As for Phoenix, the fit there is less obvious, considering the Suns already have Devin Booker and Ricky Rubio in their backcourt and may not have the cap flexibility to make a competitive bid for VanVleet if they hope to bring back contributors like Dario Saric, Aron Baynes, or Frank Kaminsky.
Still, VanVleet has plenty of experience playing alongside another point guard in Toronto, where he started this season alongside Kyle Lowry, and Suns GM James Jones showed last year in his pursuit of Rubio that he’s willing to make moves to carve out cap room if there’s a target he likes. Bobby Marks of ESPN recently suggested the idea of trading Rubio to a team like Atlanta to open up cap space for VanVleet.
The four-year, $85MM contract signed by Malcolm Brogdon in 2019 was recently cited as a potential point of comparison for VanVleet’s next deal.
After undergoing an MRI, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain, the team announced today in a press release. Lowry suffered the injury during the first quarter of Sunday’s blowout win over Brooklyn.
The Raptors didn’t provide any sort of timeline for Lowry’s recovery and return, stating in today’s announcement that his condition will be updated as appropriate.
Lowry’s return date will largely be dictated by the severity of the sprain. Mavericks star Luka Doncic was able to play in Game 4 of Dallas’ series on Sunday after spraining his ankle in Game 3 on Friday and had one of the best games of his career. However, Celtics forward Gordon Hayward has been ruled out for four weeks with a more severe sprain.
The Raptors’ second-round series against Boston is scheduled to get underway on Thursday evening, so it’s safe to assume we’ll get an update on Lowry’s potential availability for Game 1 within the next couple days.
Although the Raptors went 12-2 without Lowry in their lineup this season, the six-time All-Star has been a crucial part of the team’s success. Toronto’s chances of advancing to the Eastern Finals would dip if he’s forced to miss any time.
If Lowry does have to sit out, Norman Powell would be the top candidate to slide into the starting lineup, with rookie Terence Davis likely earning some extra playing time off the bench.
A foot injury suffered by Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry was the only blemish on Toronto’s blowout win of Brooklyn on Sunday, as the team completed its sweep and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
According to Andrew Lopez of ESPN, Lowry was scheduled to undergo an MRI on the arch of his left foot after turning his ankle early in the Raptors’ win on Sunday. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca tweets that Lowry had that MRI last night and the team is expected to provide an update on his status at some point on Monday.
The Raptors’ second-round series against Boston is scheduled to get underway this Thursday, so if Lowry’s injury is considered a day-to-day issue, he’ll have some time to get ready for Game 1. The Raptors had no issue beating the Nets without Lowry on Sunday, but will need him back in the lineup to increase their chances of getting past Boston and returning to the Eastern Finals.
Even if the Nets manage to extend their season by winning today, they don’t know when Joe Harris might return to Orlando, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Harris left the Disney World complex after Game 2 because of a family emergency. Teammates said he knew about the situation ahead of time, but still played on Wednesday.
“We haven’t even assessed that yet,” coach Jacque Vaughn said about whether Harris might rejoin the team. “My conversations with him were just checking on him to make sure that he was good and to let him know that we’re here for him when needed. I think the biggest task right now is for us to extend the series, and so to get a win and see what happens afterwards. It’s the ultimate compliment to him that he was concerned about the guys and the game, and so encouraging of the group. So while we were checking on him he was checking on us.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, who is sidelined with a Grade III sprain of his right ankle, has left Orlando and will return when he is closer to being ready to play, according to a tweet from the team. Hayward suffered the injury Monday and was projected to miss about four weeks.
- Nick Nurse’s reaction to the loss of Kawhi Leonard last summer laid the groundwork for his Coach of the Year honor, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN. Nurse didn’t panic when Leonard announced he was headed to the Clippers in free agency, breaking up a team that had just won the NBA title. Instead, he started looking for solutions to keep the team in the championship chase without its best player. “When you see Nick on the sidelines, that’s who he is as a person – relaxed but so hard working, creative and dynamic, always setting the tone for our team (by) attacking our next championship, rather than defending our last,” said team president Masai Ujiri. “That is who Nick is, that is why we believe in him. His journey to this tremendous honor has been a long one – we are so happy to see him recognized this way.”
- Jazz coach Quin Snyder said assistant Johnnie Bryant will be a valuable addition to Tom Thibodeau’s staff with in New York, states Marc Berman of The New York Post. The Knicks are expected to officially announce the move soon, but Bryant will continue to coach alongside Snyder as long as Utah’s playoff run continues. “He’s been someone who’s been with me since I got to Utah,” Snyder said. “Tactically, he’s learned (a lot) in the game and on the bench. He’s great on the court with players and you see him develop guys. It’s something we take pride in with our program. Johnnie’s been a big part of that.’’
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse has been named the 2019/20 NBA Head Coach of the Year, the league announced today in a press release.
Nurse, 53, led Toronto to the organization’s first NBA championship last season. Despite the loss of Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors had an even better winning percentage during the ’19/20 regular season than they did a year ago, clinching the Eastern Conference’s second seed. Toronto currently holds a 3-0 lead over the Nets in the team’s first-round playoff series.
Of the 100 total first-place votes, Nurse garnered 90 of them in a clear runaway with the award. His 470 total points dwarfed the 147 points earned by runner-up Mike Budenholzer — the Bucks head coach received five first-place votes.
Thunder head coach Billy Donovan, who received four first-place votes, was the third-place finisher with 134 total points. Pacers head coach Nate McMillan got the final first-place vote.
Here’s the full breakdown of the voting for the NBA Coach of the Year:
- Nurse (470 points)
- Budenholzer (147)
- Donovan (134)
- Erik Spoelstra, Heat (154)
- Frank Vogel, Lakers (36)
- Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies (29)
- McMillan (12)
- Brad Stevens, Celtics (5)
- Michael Malone, Nuggets (5)
- Doc Rivers, Clippers (5)
- Rick Carlisle, Mavericks (3)
In addition to claiming the top three spots in the 2020 NBA draft based on this year’s lottery results, the Timberwolves, Warriors, and Hornets are three of eight teams that will own more than two draft picks this fall.
As our full 2020 draft order shows, the Sixers lead the way with five picks, while the Kings, Pelicans, and Celtics have four apiece. Like Minnesota, Golden State, and Charlotte, the Knicks also hold three selections. On the other end of the spectrum, the Rockets are the only team without a 2020 draft pick.
To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2020 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 60 picks by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…
Teams with more than two picks:
- Philadelphia 76ers (5): 21, 34, 36, 49, 58
- Sacramento Kings (4): 12, 35, 43, 52
- New Orleans Pelicans (4): 13, 39, 42, 60
- Boston Celtics (4): 14, 26, 30, 47
- Minnesota Timberwolves (3): 1, 17, 33
- Golden State Warriors (3): 2, 48, 51
- Charlotte Hornets (3): 3, 32, 56
- New York Knicks (3): 8, 27, 38
Teams with two picks:
- Chicago Bulls: 4, 44
- Atlanta Hawks: 6, 50
- Washington Wizards: 9, 37
- San Antonio Spurs: 11, 41
- Orlando Magic: 15, 45
- Portland Trail Blazers: 16, 46
- Dallas Mavericks: 18, 31
- Brooklyn Nets: 19, 55
- Oklahoma City Thunder: 25, 53
- Toronto Raptors: 29, 59
Teams with one pick:
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 5
- Detroit Pistons: 7
- Phoenix Suns: 10
- Miami Heat: 20
- Denver Nuggets: 22
- Utah Jazz: 23
- Milwaukee Bucks: 24
- Los Angeles Lakers: 28
- Memphis Grizzlies: 40
- Indiana Pacers: 54
- Los Angeles Clippers: 57
Teams with no picks:
- Houston Rockets
- Following the release of new footage from last June’s altercation with a security guard at Oracle Arena, Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said in a statement that the video “sadly demonstrates how horribly I was treated by a law enforcement officer” as Toronto won its first NBA championship. As we noted on Wednesday, Ujiri has filed a countersuit in the matter.