2015 - 2016 NBA Thread - NBA where amazing happens - all rookie team named!!!
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Sources: Seth Curry to decline option with Kings
Sacramento Kings guard Seth Curry will decline his $1 million player option for the 2016-17 season and become a restricted free agent, league sources told The Vertical.
Curry has until Saturday to formalize his option decision.
Curry, 25, averaged 6.8 points, 1.5 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 44 games this season and established himself as an NBA rotational guard. He shot 45.1 percent from 3-point range for the season.
Curry, the younger brother of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, closed the season strong, averaging 16.4 points and 5.3 assists in his last seven games of the season. He had a 20-point, 15-assist performance in a win over Phoenix on April 11.
After going unselected in the 2013 draft out of Duke, Curry played in the NBA Development League and on 10-day contracts with Cleveland, Memphis and Phoenix. Curry found staying power last offseason, when his play with New Orleans’ summer-league team led to a guaranteed two-year contract with Sacramento.
Sacramento Kings guard Seth Curry will decline his $1 million player option for the 2016-17 season and become a restricted free agent, league sources told The Vertical.
Curry has until Saturday to formalize his option decision.
Curry, 25, averaged 6.8 points, 1.5 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 44 games this season and established himself as an NBA rotational guard. He shot 45.1 percent from 3-point range for the season.
Curry, the younger brother of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, closed the season strong, averaging 16.4 points and 5.3 assists in his last seven games of the season. He had a 20-point, 15-assist performance in a win over Phoenix on April 11.
After going unselected in the 2013 draft out of Duke, Curry played in the NBA Development League and on 10-day contracts with Cleveland, Memphis and Phoenix. Curry found staying power last offseason, when his play with New Orleans’ summer-league team led to a guaranteed two-year contract with Sacramento.
exactly...now name the players that are great on the ball defenders that are great offensive players...watch the numbers drop; cats probably wont even name 1 player lol...
somebody will pay him..
GS gonna pick him up lmaoo
Sources: Dave Joerger to interview with Kings for coaching vacancy
The Sacramento Kings have scheduled an interview Sunday to meet face-to-face with the freshly available Dave Joerger, according to league sources, as the Kings ramp up the intensity of their coaching search.
Sources say that the Kings, who had been hoping to secure permission from theMemphis Grizzlies to pursue Joerger before the Grizzlies abruptly fired him Saturday, are fans of the 42-year-old and regard him as a serious candidate for the post.
The Kings, sources say, had become increasingly intrigued by the idea of hiring Joerger away from the Grizzlies over the past week, but only now can the parties truly get to know each other in the wake of Saturday's events.
Joerger will join a group of experienced NBA head coaches already interviewed by the Kings that is approaching double digits, with Sacramento having planned from the start to commission a broad, deliberate search for a successor to George Karl.
In pure on-court terms, Joerger is coming off perhaps his best-ever coaching job, having guided Memphis to a 42-40 record and a spot in the Western Conference playoffs as a No. 7 seed despite a slew of injuries that led the Grizzlies to employ an NBA-record 28 players this season. No previous NBA team that ever employed 24 players or more in a single season had ever reached the playoffs.
But ESPN.com reported as far back as November that a growing disconnect between Joerger and his colleagues in the Grizzlies' front office could put his job in jeopardy.
Joerger rankled Memphis officials early in the season when he described the team's roster as "a little bit old" and gave a window into the simmering divide between coach and management as recently as the day after Memphis' first-round ouster by San Antonio, telling local reporters that he wouldn't see them again until July 1 -- after the NBA draft -- because he wouldn't be part of Memphis' draft preparations.
In explaining Joerger's firing Saturday on the team's website, Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said: "The decision was made because I believe you need a deeply committed leadership team in order to establish the strong culture needed for sustainable long-term success. I don't want to get into specifics, but our goal now is to identify the best candidate for our organization."
ESPN.com subsequently reported Saturday that Wallace, in recent weeks, had sought and received permission to pursue the Kings' recent front-office vacancy under vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac. Sacramento ultimately hired Ken Catanella from the Detroit Pistons for the assistant general manager position, then proceeded into its coaching search.
Joerger had only one guaranteed season left on his Memphis contract at an annual salary of $2 million, which is well below the current standard for established coaches. Sources say he will likely be seeking a three-year deal in the $12 million range if talks with the Kings progress to a serious stage.
Divac, to date, has interviewed NBA coaching veterans Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro, Mike Woodson, David Blatt, Mark Jackson, Jeff Hornacek and Nate McMillan as well as veteran assistant coach Patrick Ewing and current Sacramento assistant Corliss Williamson. The Kings have also lined up interviews with current Grizzlies assistant coach Elston Turner and former NBA assistant coach Henry Bibby, and have received permission to interview San Antonio Spurs assistant coaches Ettore Messina and James Borrego for the job when the Spurs have a suitable break in their playoff schedule.
ESPN.com reported earlier this week that former Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale has withdrawn his name from consideration after engaging the Kings in "exploratory discussions."
The Sacramento Kings have scheduled an interview Sunday to meet face-to-face with the freshly available Dave Joerger, according to league sources, as the Kings ramp up the intensity of their coaching search.
Sources say that the Kings, who had been hoping to secure permission from theMemphis Grizzlies to pursue Joerger before the Grizzlies abruptly fired him Saturday, are fans of the 42-year-old and regard him as a serious candidate for the post.
The Kings, sources say, had become increasingly intrigued by the idea of hiring Joerger away from the Grizzlies over the past week, but only now can the parties truly get to know each other in the wake of Saturday's events.
Joerger will join a group of experienced NBA head coaches already interviewed by the Kings that is approaching double digits, with Sacramento having planned from the start to commission a broad, deliberate search for a successor to George Karl.
In pure on-court terms, Joerger is coming off perhaps his best-ever coaching job, having guided Memphis to a 42-40 record and a spot in the Western Conference playoffs as a No. 7 seed despite a slew of injuries that led the Grizzlies to employ an NBA-record 28 players this season. No previous NBA team that ever employed 24 players or more in a single season had ever reached the playoffs.
But ESPN.com reported as far back as November that a growing disconnect between Joerger and his colleagues in the Grizzlies' front office could put his job in jeopardy.
Joerger rankled Memphis officials early in the season when he described the team's roster as "a little bit old" and gave a window into the simmering divide between coach and management as recently as the day after Memphis' first-round ouster by San Antonio, telling local reporters that he wouldn't see them again until July 1 -- after the NBA draft -- because he wouldn't be part of Memphis' draft preparations.
In explaining Joerger's firing Saturday on the team's website, Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said: "The decision was made because I believe you need a deeply committed leadership team in order to establish the strong culture needed for sustainable long-term success. I don't want to get into specifics, but our goal now is to identify the best candidate for our organization."
ESPN.com subsequently reported Saturday that Wallace, in recent weeks, had sought and received permission to pursue the Kings' recent front-office vacancy under vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac. Sacramento ultimately hired Ken Catanella from the Detroit Pistons for the assistant general manager position, then proceeded into its coaching search.
Joerger had only one guaranteed season left on his Memphis contract at an annual salary of $2 million, which is well below the current standard for established coaches. Sources say he will likely be seeking a three-year deal in the $12 million range if talks with the Kings progress to a serious stage.
Divac, to date, has interviewed NBA coaching veterans Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro, Mike Woodson, David Blatt, Mark Jackson, Jeff Hornacek and Nate McMillan as well as veteran assistant coach Patrick Ewing and current Sacramento assistant Corliss Williamson. The Kings have also lined up interviews with current Grizzlies assistant coach Elston Turner and former NBA assistant coach Henry Bibby, and have received permission to interview San Antonio Spurs assistant coaches Ettore Messina and James Borrego for the job when the Spurs have a suitable break in their playoff schedule.
ESPN.com reported earlier this week that former Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale has withdrawn his name from consideration after engaging the Kings in "exploratory discussions."
Ailene Voisin: Kings’ Divac to narrow list of coaching candidates
A Kings franchise that for years has been plagued by front office turmoil, coaching turnover, threats of relocation and more than the usual NBA funky stuff, is staring at a sudden wealth of opportunity.
The search for a new coach?
The timing rocks.
Dave Joerger? The Memphis Grizzlies are no strangers to dysfunction or instability, and their former coach’s previous flirtation with other jobs created tension within the front office, so this isn’t a total shocker. Joerger plans to meet with Kings general manager Vlade Divac on Sunday and also is thought to be interested in the Houston Rockets’ vacancy.
Frank Vogel? Larry Bird has tremendous instincts and was never afraid to take the big shot. But dumping the popular coach is a real puzzler to the Indiana Pacers’ faithful.
More? There are several more possibilities, in fact.
The pool of quality candidates to replace George Karl is deeper than that wide body of water located about two hours west of Sacramento. Even with Tom Thibodeau (Minnesota), Scott Brooks (Washington), Luke Walton (Los Angeles Lakers) and Kevin McHale already off the market, the only vacancies exist in Sacramento, Indiana, Memphis, Houston and possibly New York. Divac must be salivating at the unusually impressive and expansive list.
Sources close to the situation say the Kings’ top basketball executive – who has placed a gag order on himself and everyone within his front office – is methodically inquiring about, speaking with, or formally interviewing the last of almost two dozen current assistants or former head coaches. His initial attempts to speed up the process, perhaps hire a coach before leaving midweek for the annual predraft camp in Chicago, halted abruptly with the recent firings of Joeger and Vogel, along with Divac’s ongoing attempt to squeeze in a meeting with San Antonio assistant Ettore Messina during the Spurs-Oklahoma City postseason matchup.
The pool of quality candidates to replace George Karl is deeper than that wide body of water located about two hours west of Sacramento.
The current plan thus consists of identifying three or four finalists in the next few days and setting up formal presentations before a full front office that includes newly hired assistant GM Ken Catanella.
Keeping in mind that the situation is unusually fluid and, interestingly, that the candidates offer varying, often sharply contrasting perspectives on All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, here is a look at the front-runners:
▪ Vogel. Bird appeared visibly tormented – for good reason – when announcing his decision to release his coach and citing the need for a “new voice.” Since succeeding the ousted Jim O’Brien in 2010-11, the unassuming, defense-oriented Vogel led the Pacers to five postseason appearances and an overall regular-season record of 250-181. Bird – who dumped Roy Hibbert and has embraced the modern trend of spacing, stretch fours, versatility and faster pace – seems inclined toward a more innovative offensive type. That said, he thinks extremely highly of current Pacers assistant Nate McMillan. Vogel, who has been approached by the Kings, wants a few days to clear his head but also wants a job.
▪ Mike Woodson. A popular member of Sacramento’s original Kings and former head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks, the man known as “Woody” is a no-nonsense, straightforward individual with considerable coaching chops. He ended the Hawks’ eight-year playoff drought with three consecutive postseason appearances and, in his second head-coaching opportunity, led the 2012-13 New York Knicks to a 54-28 record and conference semifinals appearance – the team’s deepest playoff run since Jeff Van Gundy led the Knicks to the 2000 conference finals. A personable, community-oriented figure, he has coaxed solid performances out of a number of “knuckleheads,” as Charles Barkley calls them, emphasizes defense and experiments with offense, so adaptability works in his favor.
▪ Ettore Messina. The Spurs assistant is still a relative unknown to the casual NBA fan, but he is an icon in European coaching circles. He coached a young Toni Kukoc in Italy, has twice overseen the Italian national team, and won titles in Spain and with perennial power CSKA Moscow. His stature as Gregg Popovich’s lead assistant these past four years and as Divac’s longtime acquaintance are additional plusses. At some point, some franchise will break ranks and make history. Will it be the Kings?
▪ McMillan. Do we sense a pattern here? The former coach of the Seattle SuperSonics and Portland Trail Blazers is another disciplinarian who emphasizes defense and demands professionalism inside and outside the locker room. An accommodating and popular presence within his communities, he cleaned up the mess in Portland after the forgettable “Jail Blazers” era. His preferred style of play could give Divac pause: He calls a lot of plays and favors slow-paced, structured halfcourt schemes, not exactly the rage today. Or he did in the past, anyway.
▪ But back to Joerger. He was the hot candidate over the weekend, even after Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace scorched him on the way out of Memphis.
“I believe you need a deeply committed leadership team in order to establish the strong culture needed for sustainable long-term success,” Wallace explained after firing a coach who led the injury-decimated Grizz to a 42-40 record and first-round playoff appearance.
Joerger’s hastily arranged visit to Sacramento thrusts him prominently in the Kings’ mix.
And don’t sleep on Portland. Terry Stotts has a year remaining on his contract, but after his Coach of the Year-worthy accomplishments with a depleted roster, he should be itching for a multiyear extension. If Blazers GM Neal Olshey balks, Stotts might ask permission to speak with potential suitors, and the Kings would be among them.
Divac – who began the process by insisting he was hiring the person he deemed the best available coach for his franchise, not the best available coach for Cousins – also has met with Mark Jackson, Jeff Hornacek, Patrick Ewing, Elston Turner and others, and will meet with Henry Bibby on Monday. Yet according to sources within the organization, Divac has gained a sense of who he wants, is narrowing his handful-sized list, and checking it twice.
If Dave Joerger is receptive to an interview, he will quickly be added to the Kings’ mix.
But that was the weekend. See Trump. See Bernie. This is a crazy, crazy year.
A Kings franchise that for years has been plagued by front office turmoil, coaching turnover, threats of relocation and more than the usual NBA funky stuff, is staring at a sudden wealth of opportunity.
The search for a new coach?
The timing rocks.
Dave Joerger? The Memphis Grizzlies are no strangers to dysfunction or instability, and their former coach’s previous flirtation with other jobs created tension within the front office, so this isn’t a total shocker. Joerger plans to meet with Kings general manager Vlade Divac on Sunday and also is thought to be interested in the Houston Rockets’ vacancy.
Frank Vogel? Larry Bird has tremendous instincts and was never afraid to take the big shot. But dumping the popular coach is a real puzzler to the Indiana Pacers’ faithful.
More? There are several more possibilities, in fact.
The pool of quality candidates to replace George Karl is deeper than that wide body of water located about two hours west of Sacramento. Even with Tom Thibodeau (Minnesota), Scott Brooks (Washington), Luke Walton (Los Angeles Lakers) and Kevin McHale already off the market, the only vacancies exist in Sacramento, Indiana, Memphis, Houston and possibly New York. Divac must be salivating at the unusually impressive and expansive list.
Sources close to the situation say the Kings’ top basketball executive – who has placed a gag order on himself and everyone within his front office – is methodically inquiring about, speaking with, or formally interviewing the last of almost two dozen current assistants or former head coaches. His initial attempts to speed up the process, perhaps hire a coach before leaving midweek for the annual predraft camp in Chicago, halted abruptly with the recent firings of Joeger and Vogel, along with Divac’s ongoing attempt to squeeze in a meeting with San Antonio assistant Ettore Messina during the Spurs-Oklahoma City postseason matchup.
The pool of quality candidates to replace George Karl is deeper than that wide body of water located about two hours west of Sacramento.
The current plan thus consists of identifying three or four finalists in the next few days and setting up formal presentations before a full front office that includes newly hired assistant GM Ken Catanella.
Keeping in mind that the situation is unusually fluid and, interestingly, that the candidates offer varying, often sharply contrasting perspectives on All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, here is a look at the front-runners:
▪ Vogel. Bird appeared visibly tormented – for good reason – when announcing his decision to release his coach and citing the need for a “new voice.” Since succeeding the ousted Jim O’Brien in 2010-11, the unassuming, defense-oriented Vogel led the Pacers to five postseason appearances and an overall regular-season record of 250-181. Bird – who dumped Roy Hibbert and has embraced the modern trend of spacing, stretch fours, versatility and faster pace – seems inclined toward a more innovative offensive type. That said, he thinks extremely highly of current Pacers assistant Nate McMillan. Vogel, who has been approached by the Kings, wants a few days to clear his head but also wants a job.
▪ Mike Woodson. A popular member of Sacramento’s original Kings and former head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks, the man known as “Woody” is a no-nonsense, straightforward individual with considerable coaching chops. He ended the Hawks’ eight-year playoff drought with three consecutive postseason appearances and, in his second head-coaching opportunity, led the 2012-13 New York Knicks to a 54-28 record and conference semifinals appearance – the team’s deepest playoff run since Jeff Van Gundy led the Knicks to the 2000 conference finals. A personable, community-oriented figure, he has coaxed solid performances out of a number of “knuckleheads,” as Charles Barkley calls them, emphasizes defense and experiments with offense, so adaptability works in his favor.
▪ Ettore Messina. The Spurs assistant is still a relative unknown to the casual NBA fan, but he is an icon in European coaching circles. He coached a young Toni Kukoc in Italy, has twice overseen the Italian national team, and won titles in Spain and with perennial power CSKA Moscow. His stature as Gregg Popovich’s lead assistant these past four years and as Divac’s longtime acquaintance are additional plusses. At some point, some franchise will break ranks and make history. Will it be the Kings?
▪ McMillan. Do we sense a pattern here? The former coach of the Seattle SuperSonics and Portland Trail Blazers is another disciplinarian who emphasizes defense and demands professionalism inside and outside the locker room. An accommodating and popular presence within his communities, he cleaned up the mess in Portland after the forgettable “Jail Blazers” era. His preferred style of play could give Divac pause: He calls a lot of plays and favors slow-paced, structured halfcourt schemes, not exactly the rage today. Or he did in the past, anyway.
▪ But back to Joerger. He was the hot candidate over the weekend, even after Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace scorched him on the way out of Memphis.
“I believe you need a deeply committed leadership team in order to establish the strong culture needed for sustainable long-term success,” Wallace explained after firing a coach who led the injury-decimated Grizz to a 42-40 record and first-round playoff appearance.
Joerger’s hastily arranged visit to Sacramento thrusts him prominently in the Kings’ mix.
And don’t sleep on Portland. Terry Stotts has a year remaining on his contract, but after his Coach of the Year-worthy accomplishments with a depleted roster, he should be itching for a multiyear extension. If Blazers GM Neal Olshey balks, Stotts might ask permission to speak with potential suitors, and the Kings would be among them.
Divac – who began the process by insisting he was hiring the person he deemed the best available coach for his franchise, not the best available coach for Cousins – also has met with Mark Jackson, Jeff Hornacek, Patrick Ewing, Elston Turner and others, and will meet with Henry Bibby on Monday. Yet according to sources within the organization, Divac has gained a sense of who he wants, is narrowing his handful-sized list, and checking it twice.
If Dave Joerger is receptive to an interview, he will quickly be added to the Kings’ mix.
But that was the weekend. See Trump. See Bernie. This is a crazy, crazy year.
Jeremy Lin? Seth Curry? Scouring Nets’ point guard options
The Nets’ biggest need is at point guard. They’ve admitted as much. But are there any lead guards available who could make a difference on this 21-61 team? And will new general manager Sean Marks be able to land them?
With more than $40 million in cap space but no first-round pick, Marks will have to rely on free agency and ingenuity to fix the problem.
The Nets have three point guards on their roster, with starter Jarrett Jack likely to be bought out at $500,000 after tearing his ACL, and backup Shane Larkin having until June 29 to decide whether he will exercise his $1.5 million player option.
NBA sources said the only free-agent point guard who would be a difference-maker is Mike Conley. He led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio and will be the top priority for several teams, including the Knicks and his own Grizzlies. Memphis can offer Conley more than $100 million, and GM Chris Wallace guaranteed they would re-sign him.
But Conley’s odds of bolting Memphis could be increased by the Saturday firing of Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger and reports of Wallace’s potential departure.
“We need to be committed to doing the things, whatever it may be and however hard the decision may be, to do the right things,’’ said Conley, who, despite an Achilles tendon problem, will be the top guard available.
So what do the Nets do in the likelihood they don’t land him?
New coach Kenny Atkinson has a reputation as a point-guard whisperer, and Jeremy Lin repeatedly has credited him for his help during Linsanity when Atkinson was a Knicks assistant.
Lin piqued the Nets’ interest before signing with the Hornets last July, and is a viable candidate if he opts out of his $2.2 million deal. But he told the Charlotte Observer he wants to re-sign with the Hornets.
“I would love to,’’ said Lin. “I don’t like moving every year. I don’t like packing and unpacking boxes.’’
The rest of the free agents available are either journeymen or carry huge question marks.
The Celtics and Mavericks gave up on Rajon Rondo for a reason, and the drama (remember his anti-gay tirade at referee Bill Kennedy?) may be too much to stomach.
Brandon Jennings, in whom the Nets showed interest in February, missed 11 months with a torn Achilles tendon suffered in January 2015, was shipped to Orlando at the deadline and underwhelmed.
Ty Lawson’s declining play, shady attitude and off-court drama (a domestic violence and four DUI arrests, including two last year) led him to get traded by Denver and bought out by Houston in March.
Brooklyn could be creative and either go international or overpay for a young player on the rise, such as restricted free agents Seth Curry or Jordan Clarkson.
With the Lakers having Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt, the Nets could test their resolve by overpaying Clarkson. Seth Curry, brother of Steph and son of Dell, declined his player option with the Kings, who turned him loose over the last 11 games and saw him average 15.2 points. Would the Nets bank on his bloodlines?
The Nets are almost sure to be active in the international market — with Marks, Atkinson and assistant GM Trajan Langdon having played a combined two decades in Europe, and Mikhail Prokhorov having owned CSKA Moscow.
Langdon, who played for CSKA Moscow, reportedly was scouting in Europe last month and may have checked on his old club, which is in the Euroleague’s final four next weekend behind a pair of intriguing 6-foot-5 guards.
Serb Milos Teodosic, 28, is a deft passer and Europe’s top point guard. He has a year left on a $2.5 million deal, which doesn’t have an NBA out. Scoring combo-guard Nando de Colo, who played 97 games for the Spurs while Marks and Langdon were in San Antonio’s front office, is a free agent.
On Friday CSKA Moscow plays Lokomotiv Kuban, led by All-Euroleague first-teamer Malcolm Delaney, who wants to play in the NBA. Ex-Knick Sergio Rodriguez, who makes $2.6 million at Real Madrid, bears watching as well.
The Nets’ biggest need is at point guard. They’ve admitted as much. But are there any lead guards available who could make a difference on this 21-61 team? And will new general manager Sean Marks be able to land them?
With more than $40 million in cap space but no first-round pick, Marks will have to rely on free agency and ingenuity to fix the problem.
The Nets have three point guards on their roster, with starter Jarrett Jack likely to be bought out at $500,000 after tearing his ACL, and backup Shane Larkin having until June 29 to decide whether he will exercise his $1.5 million player option.
NBA sources said the only free-agent point guard who would be a difference-maker is Mike Conley. He led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio and will be the top priority for several teams, including the Knicks and his own Grizzlies. Memphis can offer Conley more than $100 million, and GM Chris Wallace guaranteed they would re-sign him.
But Conley’s odds of bolting Memphis could be increased by the Saturday firing of Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger and reports of Wallace’s potential departure.
“We need to be committed to doing the things, whatever it may be and however hard the decision may be, to do the right things,’’ said Conley, who, despite an Achilles tendon problem, will be the top guard available.
So what do the Nets do in the likelihood they don’t land him?
New coach Kenny Atkinson has a reputation as a point-guard whisperer, and Jeremy Lin repeatedly has credited him for his help during Linsanity when Atkinson was a Knicks assistant.
Lin piqued the Nets’ interest before signing with the Hornets last July, and is a viable candidate if he opts out of his $2.2 million deal. But he told the Charlotte Observer he wants to re-sign with the Hornets.
“I would love to,’’ said Lin. “I don’t like moving every year. I don’t like packing and unpacking boxes.’’
The rest of the free agents available are either journeymen or carry huge question marks.
The Celtics and Mavericks gave up on Rajon Rondo for a reason, and the drama (remember his anti-gay tirade at referee Bill Kennedy?) may be too much to stomach.
Brandon Jennings, in whom the Nets showed interest in February, missed 11 months with a torn Achilles tendon suffered in January 2015, was shipped to Orlando at the deadline and underwhelmed.
Ty Lawson’s declining play, shady attitude and off-court drama (a domestic violence and four DUI arrests, including two last year) led him to get traded by Denver and bought out by Houston in March.
Brooklyn could be creative and either go international or overpay for a young player on the rise, such as restricted free agents Seth Curry or Jordan Clarkson.
With the Lakers having Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt, the Nets could test their resolve by overpaying Clarkson. Seth Curry, brother of Steph and son of Dell, declined his player option with the Kings, who turned him loose over the last 11 games and saw him average 15.2 points. Would the Nets bank on his bloodlines?
The Nets are almost sure to be active in the international market — with Marks, Atkinson and assistant GM Trajan Langdon having played a combined two decades in Europe, and Mikhail Prokhorov having owned CSKA Moscow.
Langdon, who played for CSKA Moscow, reportedly was scouting in Europe last month and may have checked on his old club, which is in the Euroleague’s final four next weekend behind a pair of intriguing 6-foot-5 guards.
Serb Milos Teodosic, 28, is a deft passer and Europe’s top point guard. He has a year left on a $2.5 million deal, which doesn’t have an NBA out. Scoring combo-guard Nando de Colo, who played 97 games for the Spurs while Marks and Langdon were in San Antonio’s front office, is a free agent.
On Friday CSKA Moscow plays Lokomotiv Kuban, led by All-Euroleague first-teamer Malcolm Delaney, who wants to play in the NBA. Ex-Knick Sergio Rodriguez, who makes $2.6 million at Real Madrid, bears watching as well.
Larry Bird leans on Celtics experience as he shakes up Pacers - The Boston Globe
During his press conference last week to announce that he hadn’t fired coach Frank Vogel but elected not to extend his contract,Larry Bird tried to elicit sympathy. He lamented this part of his job as president of the Pacers.
Yet he removed one of the league’s finer young coaches, one who pushed a talent-deficient team to the verge of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
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Bird is trying to reshape his franchise back into a contender. Just a few years ago, the Pacers were pushing the mighty Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.
Then Paul George broke his leg in a USA Basketball exhibition, and the organization’s progress was derailed.
Last season, with George making a two-week cameo at the end, the Pacers missed the playoffs.
This season, with a healthy George but without any major upgrades, the Pacers won 45 games and earned the seventh seed. They were eliminated by the Raptors in the first round in seven games.
That wasn’t satisfactory for Bird, especially after scoring just 84 points in Game 7.
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He blamed Vogel’s mid-tempo system and then intimated that Vogel’s voice had worn on the players. Bird used his Celtics history as a reference.
“I don’t know about [Vogel] losing the locker room, I wouldn’t go that far,” Bird said. “My experience has been good coaches leave after three years. I played for Bill Fitch and I’ve seen it happen firsthand. I talked to Red Auerbach on the subject a lot. We had K.C. Jones for five years, nicest man I’ve ever met, and they let him go and we were having success.
“If you look around the league, there are guys that are being dismissed and you always wonder why, if you’re there every day and see things that are going on.
“I don’t think Frank ever lost the locker room. I think players just don’t listen. If you have a new voice and a new strategy, you hold their attention longer.”
Besides George, the Pacers’ roster is a lot like the Celtics’. They lack a true second option. George averaged 23.1 points this season in 81 games. Monta Ellis, the Pacers’ second-leading scorer, averaged 13.8 in 81 games.
Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
Paul George averaged 23.1 points per game this season.
The rest of the Pacers’ starting lineup would not start for a championship-caliber team.
It seems Bird made a coaching change just for the sake of change. He appears frustrated that the Pacers fell to mediocrity so quickly after challenging for a spot in the NBA Finals.
Last season, the Pacers ranked 23rd in the league with an offensive rating of 103.5 (points per 100 possessions). Bird then traded ineffective and declining center Roy Hibbert to help create a faster-paced team, but this season Indiana ranked 25th with an offensive rating of 104.6.
“We’ve got some good players and two guys who are really good players,” Bird said. “I think the franchise is in a good position. If you win 45 games, I expected us to win more this year. I expect to be in the playoffs and make it through a few rounds and see how good our players really are.
“The first round is nice, but you don’t know what the playoffs are about until you get to the Eastern Conference finals or the Finals, that’s when the basketball really starts.”
Bird said Vogel’s 5½-year tenure was long enough and new leadership was required. But the key for the franchise is attracting a major free agent to join George. It was Bird who signed Ellis, Rodney Stuckey, and George Hill to long-term contracts.
The Pacers have enough money for a major addition, but Indianapolis has never been an attractive destination for free agents.
The next challenge for Bird is to hire the right coach to play the uptempo style he desires and to use his clout to sign players who can flourish in that style.
The Pacers have scored big in the draft with George, Myles Turner, and Solomon Hill, but free agency is where Bird will have to really score.
He realizes his decision to remove Vogel was unpopular, but there will be a long list of candidates — such as Mark Jackson, Nate McMillan, and Mike D’Antoni — for the position.
Bird is banking on his belief that a coaching change will jump-start a franchise that has taken lateral steps. Just as the Celtics are learning, the step from competitive to contender is the most difficult one to take.
COMING ATTRACTION
[paste:font size="5"]Recruiting is Ainge’s challenge
Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff/File 2014
‘He has done a magnificent job,’ Danny Ainge said recently of Brad Stevens.
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge last week professed his adulation for coach Brad Stevens and touched on the Celtics’ chances of landing a marquee free agent. Stevens just finished the third year of a six-year contract and may receive an extension soon considering the rising salaries among head coaches.
Scott Brooks reportedly received $7 million per season to lead the Wizards, while Luke Walton signed a deal worth $5 million per season. Stevens earns an average of $3.66 million per season.
“He has done a magnificent job,” Ainge said of Stevens. “I think we’ve seen the development of a lot of our young guys, especially Avery [Bradley] and Marcus[Smart] have really developed. We saw Terry[Rozier] late in the year, and we saw some things he can do. There’s a lot more he can do.
“That’s always a delicate balance. Even in Brad’s situation. It’s tough. You know veterans help you win. He did a really good job of picking the right spots at the right time.”
Stevens has led the Celtics to the postseason each of the last two years and is considered one of the bright young coaching minds in the NBA.
“I love Brad. You guys know much I support him and enjoy being around him,” Ainge said. “He’s been great for our franchise. I’m a big, big fan. I think he’s continuing to learn the game, learn the players. He has a chance to be one of the best coaches ever if he decides to be an NBA coach for the rest of his life.”
Perhaps the most difficult task of Ainge’s tenure will be to convince a premium free agent to sign with the Celtics.
With every team having approximately an additional $20 million for their budgets and Boston being a difficult sell to free agents, the challenge of upgrading the Celtics roster will be arduous.
“I think our team is attractive to some. I think Boston and the tradition and the Celtics and their winning ways and our fan base and the ownership group and sort of the chemistry we have as an organization between coach, management, and ownership, we’re an attractive place for free agents,” Ainge said. “Free agents want to come to where they can win, get paid, where they get an opportunity to play their game. People want to be closer to the sun, closer to the equator. I think we will be attractive to some free agents. This is new territory for all of us. We’ll be making lots of calls, trying to make trades.”
Ainge has had to be creative to upgrade the roster, such as nine years ago when he struck trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to create the second Big Three.
“This is a unique opportunity. We have to be patient. There is a lot of money around the league, a lot of teams have cap space with the new TV contract. We’re looking forward to that opportunity in July,” Ainge said. “I don’t really keep a schedule. We had a fun year this year. We didn’t accomplish what we wanted to accomplish. It was disappointing, the last couple of games of the playoffs. But I thought it was a really fun year, an exciting year. We all want to be playing for more important things and go deeper in the playoffs.”
ETC.
[/paste:font]
Include Bogut among unselfish
Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
Andrew Bogut has averaged 5.4 points per game this season.
Andrew Bogut was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft and was considered a franchise cornerstone with the Bucks until suffering an ugly elbow injury six years ago.
In March of 2012, Bogut was part of a trade that changed the Warriors franchise. He was sent to Golden State along with Stephen Jackson for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, andKwame Brown.
That deal allowed Stephen Curry to play point guard full time, without the interference of Ellis, who was a combo guard like Curry.
Bogut’s role changed with the Warriors. He was no longer needed to score. He was more useful for his defense and rebounding. Bogut averaged 15.9 points per game in 2009-10 with the Bucks, but just 5.4 this season.
At 31, Bogut speaks as an NBA sage. He has won an NBA title and may be on his way to another. He embraces having to sacrifice for the greater good. Bogut was asked about teammate Harrison Barnes, a fourth-year forward who is averaging just 8.5 field goals per game in his career as he plays a complementary role to Curry and Klay Thompson.
“We’re winning. A lot of guys are sacrificing numbers and minutes and roles on this team and that’s why we’re a great team,” Bogut said. “Harrison has had great games, has had bad games just like anybody else on this roster. So I don’t anticipate it affecting his contract situation.
“Someone is going to give him that max, let’s be honest. There’s always a small-market team that would love a guy like Harrison as their No. 1 or No. 2 option. I don’t think it’s going to have any bearing on his financial future and I think people on this team are more valuable than their contract says, just from the basis of what they’ve given up.”
Those secondary players have helped the Warriors survive Curry’s injury absence in the playoffs.
“Guys like [Andre] Iguodala, [Marreese]Speights, and Festus [Ezeli], all these guys could probably make more on other teams,” Bogut said. “[Speights] has been huge for us. He had points like this for us last season as well. A lot of people forget the guys on this team, but Mo’s probably had his best month that I’ve seen in a Warrior jersey. He’s knocking down shots and shooting the 3-ball at an outstanding rate. He’s been big for us in defense and rebounding, so if he does that for us it’s very, very tough to beat and we love it when he gets going because it takes so much pressure off the starting unit.
“Guys like [Shaun] Livingston and Mo and Andre can come off the bench and provide a spark for us. Mo’s been huge for us this season and someone’s going to give him a lot of money and hopefully it’s us.”
The Warriors rolled through the selfish Rockets in five games in the first round. The Rockets spent the season fighting over shot attempts and bickering over defensive assignments. It was an embarrassing sight and a testament to a talented team that had no chemistry.
Team player
A look at Bogut's per game averages over the course of his career.
2005-06 MIL 82-77 28.6 9.4 7.0
2006-07 MIL 66-66 34.2 12.3 8.8
2007-08 MIL 78-78 34.9 14.3 9.8
2008-09 MIL 36-33 31.2 11.7 10.3
2009-10 MIL 69-69 32.3 15.9 10.2
2010-11 MIL 65-65 35.3 12.8 11.1
2011-12 MIL 12-12 30.3 11.3 8.3
2012-13 GSW 32-32 24.6 5.8 7.7
2013-14 GSW 67-67 26.4 7.3 10.0
2014-15 GSW 67-65 23.6 6.3 8.1
2015-16 GSW 70-66 20.7 5.4 7.0
Career 644-630 29.4 10.3 8.9
Source: basketball-reference.com
Golden State is the antithesis of Houston. The Warriors have been successful because players such as Iguodala, Barnes, and Livingston have sacrificed bigger roles with other teams to mesh for a championship.
“It’s not a secret. We’ve had a lot of guys who have given up roles and bought into different roles on this team and are happy to do it for the greater good of this team and win games,” Bogut said. “That’s rare for younger guys to do that. Younger guys usually don’t buy into that because they want to get their numbers and get their contract up, but this is a strange league. There are a lot of leaders on other teams, you’ll hear them say in the media, ‘I want to win,’ but a lot of times it’s on their terms.”
Has the NBA become more selfish over the past decade? Bogut believes so.
“That’s the problem with the league today. It’s ‘I want to win but I need my 30 shots to win.’ Theoretically, you probably need 10 and need to get other guys going to have a chance to win,” he said. “Not many guys are willing to do that. We have two absolute bona fide scorers in Klay and Steph that are willing to do that. They are willing to give up the open shot, willing to pass, willing to make the right play. That’s the reason why we’re successful. Only a handful can do it. You have to have a strong-minded coach that can reiterate that every day, you have to have a strong GM, strong ownership group that are on the same page.
“If you don’t have that . . . you’re just floating in the middle.”
Bogut remains a capable center despite his physical limitations. Eleven NBA seasons have been difficult on his body, but coachSteve Kerr has limited Bogut’s minutes to make him a more effective player.
“I haven’t been playing a lot of minutes. I’ve been averaging 20-odd minutes and that helps,” he said. “If I had been playing 30, 35, it might be a bit of an issue on the legs. But I feel good at this point in the season, nothing is really bothering me.
“I just think the toll on my legs and my body, shedding a few kilos always helps. I think the longevity of career and post career, I think it will help the joints, help my knees, and help my ankles. Hopefully I’ll be able to walk when I’m 50.”
[paste:font size="5"]Layups
Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
Harrison Barnes will become a restricted free agent this summer.
The Warriors could be a dramatically different team next season. They might decide to pursueKevin Durant in free agency. They have eight players who are restricted or unrestricted free agents this summer. Among the restricted FAs areHarrison Barnes, who may garner a maximum offer with the increased salary cap, and centerFestus Ezeli, a valuable defender who is improving but injury-prone. As for the unrestricted FAs, Marreese Speights may garner the most interest from other clubs. Speights is known for his scoring prowess but had a disappointing season following a sparkling 2014-15 . . . Top draft prospectBrandon Ingram has decided to participate in the NBA Pre-Draft Combine, but that may just mean the measurement portion of the session and not the five-on-five workout. Ben Simmons is not on the list of scheduled participants, but other projected top-10 picks such as Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, Cal’sJaylen Brown, Kentucky’s Jamal Murray, and Marquette’s Henry Ellenson are on the list. Early-entry candidates have until May 25 to return to school. The combine begins May 11 . . . The Heat and Chris Bosh released a joint statement declaring the All-Star out for the remainder of the postseason, and his future could be cloudy because of the blood-clot disorder that returned during the All-Star break in Toronto. Bosh has wanted to return to the court, but the Heat refused to clear him. Miami does not want to risk playing Bosh when he is experiencing a potential life-threatening condition. Bosh believes he can play using blood thinners, but finally relented on his request to return. It is uncertain whether Bosh will be ready for training camp in October. Bosh will have to prove during the summer that he is able to play following blood-thinning treatment. The situation is precarious.
[/paste:font]
Victory blockade
By losing to Portland in the first round, the Clippers became just the second team to hold a lead in a playoff series in four straight years only to lose the matchup. Here’s a look at how they compare to the other club that suffered the same embarrassment — the Celtics:
Compiled by Michael Grossi
Gary Washburn can be reached atgwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter@GwashburnGlobe. Material from interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.
During his press conference last week to announce that he hadn’t fired coach Frank Vogel but elected not to extend his contract,Larry Bird tried to elicit sympathy. He lamented this part of his job as president of the Pacers.
Yet he removed one of the league’s finer young coaches, one who pushed a talent-deficient team to the verge of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
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Bird is trying to reshape his franchise back into a contender. Just a few years ago, the Pacers were pushing the mighty Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.
Then Paul George broke his leg in a USA Basketball exhibition, and the organization’s progress was derailed.
Last season, with George making a two-week cameo at the end, the Pacers missed the playoffs.
This season, with a healthy George but without any major upgrades, the Pacers won 45 games and earned the seventh seed. They were eliminated by the Raptors in the first round in seven games.
That wasn’t satisfactory for Bird, especially after scoring just 84 points in Game 7.
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He blamed Vogel’s mid-tempo system and then intimated that Vogel’s voice had worn on the players. Bird used his Celtics history as a reference.
“I don’t know about [Vogel] losing the locker room, I wouldn’t go that far,” Bird said. “My experience has been good coaches leave after three years. I played for Bill Fitch and I’ve seen it happen firsthand. I talked to Red Auerbach on the subject a lot. We had K.C. Jones for five years, nicest man I’ve ever met, and they let him go and we were having success.
“If you look around the league, there are guys that are being dismissed and you always wonder why, if you’re there every day and see things that are going on.
“I don’t think Frank ever lost the locker room. I think players just don’t listen. If you have a new voice and a new strategy, you hold their attention longer.”
Besides George, the Pacers’ roster is a lot like the Celtics’. They lack a true second option. George averaged 23.1 points this season in 81 games. Monta Ellis, the Pacers’ second-leading scorer, averaged 13.8 in 81 games.
Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
Paul George averaged 23.1 points per game this season.
The rest of the Pacers’ starting lineup would not start for a championship-caliber team.
It seems Bird made a coaching change just for the sake of change. He appears frustrated that the Pacers fell to mediocrity so quickly after challenging for a spot in the NBA Finals.
Last season, the Pacers ranked 23rd in the league with an offensive rating of 103.5 (points per 100 possessions). Bird then traded ineffective and declining center Roy Hibbert to help create a faster-paced team, but this season Indiana ranked 25th with an offensive rating of 104.6.
“We’ve got some good players and two guys who are really good players,” Bird said. “I think the franchise is in a good position. If you win 45 games, I expected us to win more this year. I expect to be in the playoffs and make it through a few rounds and see how good our players really are.
“The first round is nice, but you don’t know what the playoffs are about until you get to the Eastern Conference finals or the Finals, that’s when the basketball really starts.”
Bird said Vogel’s 5½-year tenure was long enough and new leadership was required. But the key for the franchise is attracting a major free agent to join George. It was Bird who signed Ellis, Rodney Stuckey, and George Hill to long-term contracts.
The Pacers have enough money for a major addition, but Indianapolis has never been an attractive destination for free agents.
The next challenge for Bird is to hire the right coach to play the uptempo style he desires and to use his clout to sign players who can flourish in that style.
The Pacers have scored big in the draft with George, Myles Turner, and Solomon Hill, but free agency is where Bird will have to really score.
He realizes his decision to remove Vogel was unpopular, but there will be a long list of candidates — such as Mark Jackson, Nate McMillan, and Mike D’Antoni — for the position.
Bird is banking on his belief that a coaching change will jump-start a franchise that has taken lateral steps. Just as the Celtics are learning, the step from competitive to contender is the most difficult one to take.
COMING ATTRACTION
[paste:font size="5"]Recruiting is Ainge’s challenge
Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff/File 2014
‘He has done a magnificent job,’ Danny Ainge said recently of Brad Stevens.
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge last week professed his adulation for coach Brad Stevens and touched on the Celtics’ chances of landing a marquee free agent. Stevens just finished the third year of a six-year contract and may receive an extension soon considering the rising salaries among head coaches.
Scott Brooks reportedly received $7 million per season to lead the Wizards, while Luke Walton signed a deal worth $5 million per season. Stevens earns an average of $3.66 million per season.
“He has done a magnificent job,” Ainge said of Stevens. “I think we’ve seen the development of a lot of our young guys, especially Avery [Bradley] and Marcus[Smart] have really developed. We saw Terry[Rozier] late in the year, and we saw some things he can do. There’s a lot more he can do.
“That’s always a delicate balance. Even in Brad’s situation. It’s tough. You know veterans help you win. He did a really good job of picking the right spots at the right time.”
Stevens has led the Celtics to the postseason each of the last two years and is considered one of the bright young coaching minds in the NBA.
“I love Brad. You guys know much I support him and enjoy being around him,” Ainge said. “He’s been great for our franchise. I’m a big, big fan. I think he’s continuing to learn the game, learn the players. He has a chance to be one of the best coaches ever if he decides to be an NBA coach for the rest of his life.”
Perhaps the most difficult task of Ainge’s tenure will be to convince a premium free agent to sign with the Celtics.
With every team having approximately an additional $20 million for their budgets and Boston being a difficult sell to free agents, the challenge of upgrading the Celtics roster will be arduous.
“I think our team is attractive to some. I think Boston and the tradition and the Celtics and their winning ways and our fan base and the ownership group and sort of the chemistry we have as an organization between coach, management, and ownership, we’re an attractive place for free agents,” Ainge said. “Free agents want to come to where they can win, get paid, where they get an opportunity to play their game. People want to be closer to the sun, closer to the equator. I think we will be attractive to some free agents. This is new territory for all of us. We’ll be making lots of calls, trying to make trades.”
Ainge has had to be creative to upgrade the roster, such as nine years ago when he struck trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to create the second Big Three.
“This is a unique opportunity. We have to be patient. There is a lot of money around the league, a lot of teams have cap space with the new TV contract. We’re looking forward to that opportunity in July,” Ainge said. “I don’t really keep a schedule. We had a fun year this year. We didn’t accomplish what we wanted to accomplish. It was disappointing, the last couple of games of the playoffs. But I thought it was a really fun year, an exciting year. We all want to be playing for more important things and go deeper in the playoffs.”
ETC.
[/paste:font]
Include Bogut among unselfish
Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
Andrew Bogut has averaged 5.4 points per game this season.
Andrew Bogut was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft and was considered a franchise cornerstone with the Bucks until suffering an ugly elbow injury six years ago.
In March of 2012, Bogut was part of a trade that changed the Warriors franchise. He was sent to Golden State along with Stephen Jackson for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, andKwame Brown.
That deal allowed Stephen Curry to play point guard full time, without the interference of Ellis, who was a combo guard like Curry.
Bogut’s role changed with the Warriors. He was no longer needed to score. He was more useful for his defense and rebounding. Bogut averaged 15.9 points per game in 2009-10 with the Bucks, but just 5.4 this season.
At 31, Bogut speaks as an NBA sage. He has won an NBA title and may be on his way to another. He embraces having to sacrifice for the greater good. Bogut was asked about teammate Harrison Barnes, a fourth-year forward who is averaging just 8.5 field goals per game in his career as he plays a complementary role to Curry and Klay Thompson.
“We’re winning. A lot of guys are sacrificing numbers and minutes and roles on this team and that’s why we’re a great team,” Bogut said. “Harrison has had great games, has had bad games just like anybody else on this roster. So I don’t anticipate it affecting his contract situation.
“Someone is going to give him that max, let’s be honest. There’s always a small-market team that would love a guy like Harrison as their No. 1 or No. 2 option. I don’t think it’s going to have any bearing on his financial future and I think people on this team are more valuable than their contract says, just from the basis of what they’ve given up.”
Those secondary players have helped the Warriors survive Curry’s injury absence in the playoffs.
“Guys like [Andre] Iguodala, [Marreese]Speights, and Festus [Ezeli], all these guys could probably make more on other teams,” Bogut said. “[Speights] has been huge for us. He had points like this for us last season as well. A lot of people forget the guys on this team, but Mo’s probably had his best month that I’ve seen in a Warrior jersey. He’s knocking down shots and shooting the 3-ball at an outstanding rate. He’s been big for us in defense and rebounding, so if he does that for us it’s very, very tough to beat and we love it when he gets going because it takes so much pressure off the starting unit.
“Guys like [Shaun] Livingston and Mo and Andre can come off the bench and provide a spark for us. Mo’s been huge for us this season and someone’s going to give him a lot of money and hopefully it’s us.”
The Warriors rolled through the selfish Rockets in five games in the first round. The Rockets spent the season fighting over shot attempts and bickering over defensive assignments. It was an embarrassing sight and a testament to a talented team that had no chemistry.
Team player
A look at Bogut's per game averages over the course of his career.
2005-06 MIL 82-77 28.6 9.4 7.0
2006-07 MIL 66-66 34.2 12.3 8.8
2007-08 MIL 78-78 34.9 14.3 9.8
2008-09 MIL 36-33 31.2 11.7 10.3
2009-10 MIL 69-69 32.3 15.9 10.2
2010-11 MIL 65-65 35.3 12.8 11.1
2011-12 MIL 12-12 30.3 11.3 8.3
2012-13 GSW 32-32 24.6 5.8 7.7
2013-14 GSW 67-67 26.4 7.3 10.0
2014-15 GSW 67-65 23.6 6.3 8.1
2015-16 GSW 70-66 20.7 5.4 7.0
Career 644-630 29.4 10.3 8.9
Source: basketball-reference.com
Golden State is the antithesis of Houston. The Warriors have been successful because players such as Iguodala, Barnes, and Livingston have sacrificed bigger roles with other teams to mesh for a championship.
“It’s not a secret. We’ve had a lot of guys who have given up roles and bought into different roles on this team and are happy to do it for the greater good of this team and win games,” Bogut said. “That’s rare for younger guys to do that. Younger guys usually don’t buy into that because they want to get their numbers and get their contract up, but this is a strange league. There are a lot of leaders on other teams, you’ll hear them say in the media, ‘I want to win,’ but a lot of times it’s on their terms.”
Has the NBA become more selfish over the past decade? Bogut believes so.
“That’s the problem with the league today. It’s ‘I want to win but I need my 30 shots to win.’ Theoretically, you probably need 10 and need to get other guys going to have a chance to win,” he said. “Not many guys are willing to do that. We have two absolute bona fide scorers in Klay and Steph that are willing to do that. They are willing to give up the open shot, willing to pass, willing to make the right play. That’s the reason why we’re successful. Only a handful can do it. You have to have a strong-minded coach that can reiterate that every day, you have to have a strong GM, strong ownership group that are on the same page.
“If you don’t have that . . . you’re just floating in the middle.”
Bogut remains a capable center despite his physical limitations. Eleven NBA seasons have been difficult on his body, but coachSteve Kerr has limited Bogut’s minutes to make him a more effective player.
“I haven’t been playing a lot of minutes. I’ve been averaging 20-odd minutes and that helps,” he said. “If I had been playing 30, 35, it might be a bit of an issue on the legs. But I feel good at this point in the season, nothing is really bothering me.
“I just think the toll on my legs and my body, shedding a few kilos always helps. I think the longevity of career and post career, I think it will help the joints, help my knees, and help my ankles. Hopefully I’ll be able to walk when I’m 50.”
[paste:font size="5"]Layups
Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
Harrison Barnes will become a restricted free agent this summer.
The Warriors could be a dramatically different team next season. They might decide to pursueKevin Durant in free agency. They have eight players who are restricted or unrestricted free agents this summer. Among the restricted FAs areHarrison Barnes, who may garner a maximum offer with the increased salary cap, and centerFestus Ezeli, a valuable defender who is improving but injury-prone. As for the unrestricted FAs, Marreese Speights may garner the most interest from other clubs. Speights is known for his scoring prowess but had a disappointing season following a sparkling 2014-15 . . . Top draft prospectBrandon Ingram has decided to participate in the NBA Pre-Draft Combine, but that may just mean the measurement portion of the session and not the five-on-five workout. Ben Simmons is not on the list of scheduled participants, but other projected top-10 picks such as Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, Cal’sJaylen Brown, Kentucky’s Jamal Murray, and Marquette’s Henry Ellenson are on the list. Early-entry candidates have until May 25 to return to school. The combine begins May 11 . . . The Heat and Chris Bosh released a joint statement declaring the All-Star out for the remainder of the postseason, and his future could be cloudy because of the blood-clot disorder that returned during the All-Star break in Toronto. Bosh has wanted to return to the court, but the Heat refused to clear him. Miami does not want to risk playing Bosh when he is experiencing a potential life-threatening condition. Bosh believes he can play using blood thinners, but finally relented on his request to return. It is uncertain whether Bosh will be ready for training camp in October. Bosh will have to prove during the summer that he is able to play following blood-thinning treatment. The situation is precarious.
[/paste:font]
Victory blockade
By losing to Portland in the first round, the Clippers became just the second team to hold a lead in a playoff series in four straight years only to lose the matchup. Here’s a look at how they compare to the other club that suffered the same embarrassment — the Celtics:
Compiled by Michael Grossi
Gary Washburn can be reached atgwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter@GwashburnGlobe. Material from interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.
I assume he goes to LA with Luke
Miami would be interested in him also. They will make a run at him
Is he coming off the bench for Dragic?
Yeah they were saying earlier on the radio wqam that the Heat is really looking to upgrade their 3 point shooting.
Curry is a combo guard so he plays both point and 2 guard equally. I think with
J Rich
Curry
TJ
That would be a good shooting guard rotation
We need that Bosh waiver bad because we get nothing from our bench. If Winslow can take the nex step wit his game (jumper) that would help a lot. We just have to find some shooters.
Byron Scott still rues not playing his Laker veterans more
Ball Don't Lie
Kelly Dwyer Fri, May 6 9:52 AM PDT
When NBA coaches remind the press that they “never read what you people write” or that they don’t pay attention to that “stuff,” meaning “rumors,” it’s often hard to believe them. Yes, there is a lot of game tape to break down and meetings to attend, but don’t they at least have some passing interest in what’s happening around the league, and how its participants view their team?
With deposed former Laker coach Byron Scott, though, we kind of believe the guy.
(Though, since moving back to Los Angeles, he must have changed his habits.)
In an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News, Scott claims that he was taken aback and “thrown for a loop” by Los Angeles’ decision to decline to pick up the option on the third year of his four-year deal, keeping in mind a conversation he had with Laker brass back in 2014 about seeing out at the very least a three-year plan:
“If I knew this was coming, I would have played Lou [Williams], Brandon [Bass] and guys like that a whole lot more,” Scott said, referring to his veterans in an interview with this newspaper. “They gave me the best chance to win.”
“I wasn’t going to sell myself; that’s just not me. But I did bring up the fact that I thought I had at least another year with our discussions that this would be hard the first two or three years,” Scott said. “They asked if I was all right with it and I said, ‘Yeah I am. But are you guys?’ The answer back to me was, ‘Yeah, because we knew this would be tough and it would take a while.’”
This is all very nutty.
For background, undersized forward Brandon Bass had a solid, workmanlike year at age 30. He didn’t start a game, but played 20 minutes a contest while contributing over seven points and four rebounds a night. Hybrid guard Williams took a little while to come around, but he finished his season averaging over 15 points on 41 percent shooting, starting 35 out of 67 contests and playing 28 minutes a night.
Williams, much to Laker fans’ consternation, started a major chunk of games between December and February, with Los Angeles going 8-27 in his run. Los Angeles was a better basketball team with the 29-year old in the backcourt, but even the daffiest of Laker fans knew that the agenda for 2015-16 included marveling at Kobe Bryant’s final season, losing as many games as possible so as to ensure that the team keeps its draft pick (if it falls out of the top three of the draft in the NBA’s draft lottery, the Philadelphia 76ers take over its rights), while giving the team’s youngsters chances to develop (and screw up) on a public stage.
Screw up they did: D’Angelo Russell spent most of his rookie season shooting below 40 percent, ostensible rookie Julius Randle (who played all of seven minutes in 2014-15 before suffering a season-ending injury) had his growing pains, and second-year guard Jordan Clarkson still has a lot to figure out. Still, that’s typical for any player working at their ages – be they future Hall of Famers or future entrants in a ‘Top 25 NBA Draft Busts’ slideshow.
Russell and Randle don’t figure to be showing up in any of those slideshows based on the early returns, and while their Hall of Fame status isn’t yet assured, somehow they made it out of 2015-16 not hating life as a Laker following Scott’s last season with the team. The former NBA Coach of the Year yanked them in and out of the starting lineup while repeatedly failing to communicate, directly to them in private, just why.
Byron Scott deserves the bashing he’s taken and will take in the wake of a publicity tour that also included radio spots and appearances on ESPN. His outmoded ways held both the Cleveland Cavalier (though that team’s “win a ring before LeBron!”-obsessed front office didn’t help) and Laker rebuilding processes back, and he appears no more cognizant of his missteps than he was before taking either job.
Still, bashing on Byron Scott is easy; we’ve done it as much as anyone else, so we should know.
What comes next – for Russell, Randle, and Clarkson – is the real development stage. The Lakers hired a coach in Luke Walton that franchises were absolutely falling all over themselves to corral, and freed from the excuses that Kobe’s 21.5 shots per 36 minutes and Scott’s presence provided, the triptych needs to take a major step forward in 2016-17 and beyond.
Byron Scott can only salt the fields for so long. It’s true that it will be tough for Russell (and, let’s be honest, Randle) to run a rookie season all over again under Luke Walton, just as it will be just as difficult for Walton to extricate his young players from their bad habits.
Realizing just how many of these bad habits were due to Byron Scott’s tutelage will be entirely up to the Lakers’ young core. The NBA won’t have Byron Scott to kick around anymore, and the players he left behind now need to dig in.
- - - - - - -
Ball Don't Lie
Kelly Dwyer Fri, May 6 9:52 AM PDT
With deposed former Laker coach Byron Scott, though, we kind of believe the guy.
(Though, since moving back to Los Angeles, he must have changed his habits.)
In an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News, Scott claims that he was taken aback and “thrown for a loop” by Los Angeles’ decision to decline to pick up the option on the third year of his four-year deal, keeping in mind a conversation he had with Laker brass back in 2014 about seeing out at the very least a three-year plan:
“If I knew this was coming, I would have played Lou [Williams], Brandon [Bass] and guys like that a whole lot more,” Scott said, referring to his veterans in an interview with this newspaper. “They gave me the best chance to win.”
“I wasn’t going to sell myself; that’s just not me. But I did bring up the fact that I thought I had at least another year with our discussions that this would be hard the first two or three years,” Scott said. “They asked if I was all right with it and I said, ‘Yeah I am. But are you guys?’ The answer back to me was, ‘Yeah, because we knew this would be tough and it would take a while.’”
This is all very nutty.
For background, undersized forward Brandon Bass had a solid, workmanlike year at age 30. He didn’t start a game, but played 20 minutes a contest while contributing over seven points and four rebounds a night. Hybrid guard Williams took a little while to come around, but he finished his season averaging over 15 points on 41 percent shooting, starting 35 out of 67 contests and playing 28 minutes a night.
Williams, much to Laker fans’ consternation, started a major chunk of games between December and February, with Los Angeles going 8-27 in his run. Los Angeles was a better basketball team with the 29-year old in the backcourt, but even the daffiest of Laker fans knew that the agenda for 2015-16 included marveling at Kobe Bryant’s final season, losing as many games as possible so as to ensure that the team keeps its draft pick (if it falls out of the top three of the draft in the NBA’s draft lottery, the Philadelphia 76ers take over its rights), while giving the team’s youngsters chances to develop (and screw up) on a public stage.
Screw up they did: D’Angelo Russell spent most of his rookie season shooting below 40 percent, ostensible rookie Julius Randle (who played all of seven minutes in 2014-15 before suffering a season-ending injury) had his growing pains, and second-year guard Jordan Clarkson still has a lot to figure out. Still, that’s typical for any player working at their ages – be they future Hall of Famers or future entrants in a ‘Top 25 NBA Draft Busts’ slideshow.
Russell and Randle don’t figure to be showing up in any of those slideshows based on the early returns, and while their Hall of Fame status isn’t yet assured, somehow they made it out of 2015-16 not hating life as a Laker following Scott’s last season with the team. The former NBA Coach of the Year yanked them in and out of the starting lineup while repeatedly failing to communicate, directly to them in private, just why.
Byron Scott deserves the bashing he’s taken and will take in the wake of a publicity tour that also included radio spots and appearances on ESPN. His outmoded ways held both the Cleveland Cavalier (though that team’s “win a ring before LeBron!”-obsessed front office didn’t help) and Laker rebuilding processes back, and he appears no more cognizant of his missteps than he was before taking either job.
Still, bashing on Byron Scott is easy; we’ve done it as much as anyone else, so we should know.
What comes next – for Russell, Randle, and Clarkson – is the real development stage. The Lakers hired a coach in Luke Walton that franchises were absolutely falling all over themselves to corral, and freed from the excuses that Kobe’s 21.5 shots per 36 minutes and Scott’s presence provided, the triptych needs to take a major step forward in 2016-17 and beyond.
Byron Scott can only salt the fields for so long. It’s true that it will be tough for Russell (and, let’s be honest, Randle) to run a rookie season all over again under Luke Walton, just as it will be just as difficult for Walton to extricate his young players from their bad habits.
Realizing just how many of these bad habits were due to Byron Scott’s tutelage will be entirely up to the Lakers’ young core. The NBA won’t have Byron Scott to kick around anymore, and the players he left behind now need to dig in.
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Thibs is going to run KAT into the ground
If I'm his father I woulda protested that choice
KAT will be in LA soon
If I'm his father I woulda protested that choice
KAT will be in LA soon
1982 Oilers got swept by the Islanders in the Stanley Cup.
2010 Pats were bounced by the Jets in the divisional round.
2016 Warriors..................?????????????
BTW, Bogut is out. Thunder bout to break them boards.
2 seasons in a row having to deal with that clot issue.. In sure bosh contract was insured by the team and will get that money back but you cannot gamble with dude now.. Either way Bosh had a good run.. He should retire and join NBA tv or one of the networks as a commentator
OKC out rebounded GS with Bogut in the game.. Nothing's changed
Cant blame em. He will get his paper. This is about cap space and team financial liability.
No nba team will clear Bosh.
He's going to have to bite the bullet and retire.
He's going to get his full contract.
The heat just need to get it off the books.
He's going to have to bite the bullet and retire.
He's going to get his full contract.
The heat just need to get it off the books.
He's good at the end of the day.. He get his money/he got 2 rings/ going to the HOF...
If I were him I'd call it a day
